Walt Disney Co. and its ABC unit held unsuccessful mediation talks in June with the two women who have alleged they were sexually assaulted by former Good Morning America producer Michael Corn, people with knowledge of the matter said. (WSJ)
Following the failed attempt to reach a settlement, 31-year-old ABC News producer Kirstyn Crawford filed a suit against Corn and ABC in Manhattan Supreme Court last Wednesday, accusing Corn of kissing her in an Uber without her consent in 2015 after a work party in Los Angeles and later barging into her hotel room. (NY Post)
In her lawsuit, Crawford claims that the network learned of the alleged assault in 2017 yet “did nothing to protect Plaintiff or remove Corn from his position of power.” (Deadline)
In addition to Corn, Crawford’s lawsuit also names ABC as a defendant, alleging the network received complaints about Corn’s behavior from multiple women over roughly a decade ago, but didn’t discipline the veteran, high-ranking executive. (TVNewser)