Jeff Shell Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Less than a year into the job, and with a mega merger looming, Paramount president Jeff Shell is exiting the company. The executive is set to leave the company imminently, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Shell had been facing an internal investigation after a notorious gambler and whistleblower alleged that he disclosed non-public information about the company. Paramount and Shell’s rep declined to comment.
RJ Cipriani, the man who made the claims, sued Paramount and Shell, with Shell also suing him. Cipriani claimed that Shell gave him private information about Paramount’s deal with UFC, and failed to pay him for services he claims to have rendered.
Shell joined the company last year, working with CEO David Ellison has his Skydance sought to complete its acquisition of Paramount. After the deal closed, Shell was named president, handling many of the company’s operational lines of business.
His hiring was meant to complement Ellison by bringing a veteran operator in the company, though other executives, like COO Andy Gordon, have also stepped up their presence in the C-suite.
He also previously served as CEO of NBCUniversal, but was let go after claims of harassment were made by a former CNBC anchor. One source said that the public scrutiny he faced played a role in the decision to step aside imminently.
Meet the Gambler Who Got Jeff Shell Fired — Again
R.J. Cipriani on March 9 at Via Veneto and Churros Calientes in Santa Monica. Photographed by Daniel Prakopcyk THR Newsletters
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