Julie Chen struggling over latest allegations against Les Moonves
Julie Chen is struggling amid the latest overwhelming accusations against her disgraced husband, former CBS chief Les Moonves — and it could break their marriage.
Over the past few months, the TV host was a “true believer” that all the claims of sexual misconduct against her husband were false.
But a TV source who knows Chen, 48, tells Page Six that things may change following new accusations revealed in a new report including that Moonves, 69, kept a staff member on call for oral sex, which he denies.
Moonves was at CBS for decades until he resigned in September in light of allegations that he had sexually abused numerous women.
He now stands to lose his $120 million severance package as the source told us: “Les managed to convince Julie that none of this was true, that he was being screwed over.”
Moonves is believed to have stopped his vile workplace behavior when he wed Chen in 2004, according to a new report by the New York Times this week.
But the source — who said Chen is not believed to have contacted a lawyer yet — added: “It did stop when he married her — that’s true — but I don’t see how she continues in this marriage.”
Things are made more complicated by the fact Moonves and Chen — who have a 9-year-old son called Charlie — met and developed a romance in the CBS workplace.
The source said: “Obviously, that shows that Les liked to fish in the company pond.”
The Times report details horrifying allegations of sexual misconduct by Moonves, who has an estimated personal fortune of $700 million.
It alleges that a report, prepared by the lawyers hired by CBS to investigate Moonves and the overall company, details multiple acts of alleged “nonconsensual” sexual misconduct and claims that he received oral sex from multiple CBS employees, which the report labeled as “transactional and improper.”
There are also reports of a member of staff on call for sex with Moonves. However, The Times reported he claims it was “consensual.”
The woman did not respond to the investigators’ requests for an interview.
Andrew J. Levander, Mr. Moonves’s lawyer, told the Times that Moonves had “never put or kept someone on the payroll for the purpose of sex.”
If the new allegations are true, it could end Moonves’s bid to win his multi-million dollar severance package.
According to the report, Moonves’ marriage to Chen, was considered a “bright line,” and allegedly put an end to his acts of sexual misconduct.
This could well explain why Chen has stuck by Moonves’ side and defended him, calling him a “good man and loving father, devoted husband, and inspiring corporate leader,” when allegations first surfaced.
Chen then tellingly changed her sign-off to include the Moonves moniker on “Big Brother” in September.
But the source told us: “You have to adapt to what is the new normal. This is the time when an individual in situations like this is forced to consider their position and where they go next.”
The couple was last pictured together at dinner at celebrity eatery in LA last month.
Chen will soon be back on air on Big Brother: Celebrity Edition on CBS on January 21, having left her CBS show The Talk at the height of the scandal, telling viewers she needed to spend time with her husband and young son.
Talking about the future, the source said: “There are financial considerations and the overall embarrassment to deal with.
“But at least Julie’s protecting her brand by going back on air. The telling thing now will be when she chooses to make her first public appearance without him.”
Chen has not yet addressed the New York Times article or the internal investigation from CBS.
As Page Six reported this month, the findings of the CBS report are due back by January 31.
Reps for Chen did not return calls. Page Six has reached out to Moonves for comment.
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