Warner Media Enlists Lawyer to Look Into Claims About Executive and Actress

A woman who appeared in two Warner Bros. films is at the center of an inquiry sparked by an anonymous letter.

An inquiry by AT&T-owned Warner Media has arisen in response to an anonymous letter from an individual identified only as “Social Justice Warrior” that raised a series of explosive questions about an executive and an actress working for the company’s Warner Bros. studio.

The gist of the questions posed in the letter to Warner Media CEO John Stankey are whether an actress had been promised speaking roles in films in exchange for her silence about alleged misconduct of an unnamed Warners executive. The actress is identified only by her initials. (The Hollywood Reporter is aware of the identity of the letter writer and the actress and is not naming either.)

In response, attorney John Spiegel of Munger, Tolles & Olson wrote in a letter obtained by THR that his firm “has been engaged by Warner Media to follow up on your email of September 4, 2018 to John Stankey.” The letter continued: “We would very much appreciate receiving any information you have relating to the questions posed and comments made in your email, and would like to meet with you to discuss that information at your earliest convenience.”

Warner Bros. has previously used Spiegel and Munger Tolles to handle especially thorny legal issues, including the studio’s high-profile divorce from Two and a Half Men actor Charlie Sheen.

Spiegel referred a request for comment to Warner Media. “As a matter of policy we review any and all claims brought to our attention in an effort to foster a safe and successful work environment,” a Warner Media rep said in a statement, declining to elaborate on the nature of the probe or the identity of the executive in question. A company source said Munger Tolles previously looked into similar allegations involving a top executive late last year but found no evidence of misconduct.

In an email to THR, the actress’ agent denied any impropriety in her casting. “My client legitimately received her roles on [the films] through the directors and producers on those films,“ the agent said, adding, “My client did not receive these roles under any settlement agreement.”

It is unclear whether any action will ensue from the inquiry. Companies throughout the media and entertainment industries are looking at allegations of misconduct closely, and AT&T is known to be highly sensitive to issues of employee conduct.