Tavis Smiley Ordered To Pay $2.6M To PBS Over Misconduct Claims

Well, damn!

Source: KAREN BLEIER / Getty

Tavis Smiley is being ordered to shell out BIG bucks following those PBS misconduct allegations. As previously reported the former host’s misconduct case has been ongoing since 2017 when scores of subordinate women testified that the sexual relationships they had with Smiley resulted in firings and/or extremely uncomfortable work environments.

Smiley has been adamant of his innocence and went on to accuse PBS of racial bias sparking a lawsuit against the company. PBS, in turn, countersued him for $1.9 million in production fees.

Now according to Variety, Smiley’s been ordered to pay a whopping $2.6 million to the Public Broadcasting Service for having affairs with his subordinates. After a three week trial in March, a jury found that

Smiley had breached the morals clause in his contract. Six women who accused Smiley of misconduct testified against him, with one claiming that Smiley made “numerous” sexual advances against her and warned her against turning him down.

“I’m tired of you telling me no. I’m tired of you rejecting me,” Smiley said ccording to her testimony. “I’m going to show you what happens to people when they reject me.”

She later quit and was paid $325,000 to resolve a sexual harassment complaint.

As previously reported other complaints from subordinates read as follows;

-A former employee alleged that Smiley asked her to lunch, and then asked about her bra size, offering a trip to Victoria’s Secret at The Grove. The woman was eventually laid off from the show and was allegedly told that she “knew too much” about Smiley’s actions, according to the report.

-A woman claimed in 2000, Smiley grabbed her buttocks during a photo session, and then later purposely made contact between his penis and her buttocks.

-One woman claimed that when she visited Smiley’s house, he opened the door and was not wearing pants. He later asked her to have a threesome with him and his executive producer Kimberly McFarland, who, the report claimed, was seen naked in Smiley’s bed with a frightened look.

M E S S.

With the ruling in PBS’ favor, Judge Yvonne Williams ruled that Smiley will have to cough up $2.6 million. That includes $1.9 million in liquidated damages — the amount paid by PBS to Smiley’s company, TS Media, for the show’s last two seasons, reports Variety. that’s not all, the judge also awarded PBS an additional $702,898 that corporate underwriters had paid to Smiley’s company for those seasons.

SHEEEEESH!

What do YOU think about Tavis Smiley having to pay PBS $2.6 million???