The case surrounding former Bild editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt has legal repercussions for the US media group Axel Springer. A former employee of the tabloid Bild filed a civil lawsuit against the company in a Los Angeles court in August, according to the court’s website. There is also a hearing date in December.
Former employee of Bild editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt, Johanna Sophie Gerber, has filed a lawsuit against the US subsidiary Axel Springer Services, according to “media insiders” and “Zeit Online”. There are eleven charges against the publisher: Gerber accuses the company of sexual harassment, unfair payment, retaliatory measures, and aiding and abetting harassment.
The complaint is currently under review
A spokesperson for Axel Springer said on Tuesday when asked: “We are reviewing the lawsuit and will comment on it at the appropriate time.”
Bild editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt had to leave in October 2021 against the backdrop of allegations of abuse of power in connection with consensual relationships with employees. In the spring of 2021, Springer launched an internal lawsuit against Reichelt to review the allegations and decided to give him a second chance.
A New York Times media report picked up the case in October 2021, at the same time as there was a press survey by an investigative team from the Ippen media group. Springer then drew a line and released Reichelt from his duties. The journalist himself later spoke of a “smear campaign” against him.
Kurz is mentioned in lawsuit
According to “media insiders”, former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is mentioned in the indictment. The former “Bild” employee is said to have met Kurz in 2018 at the Salzburg Festival. According to Reichelt, the former chancellor found her “nice” and Reichelt gave him Gerber’s private phone number “just for fun”.