According to a Wall Street Journal report, Sheryl Sandberg, the meta manager, allegedly pressured the Daily Mail to publish unflattering stories about her then-boyfriend Bobby Kotick, the CEO of Activision Blizzard.
The Journal reports that she persuaded the Mail’s digital edition not to publish stories revealing that one of Kotick’s ex-girlfriends obtained a restraining order against him in 2014. Kotick reportedly said that Sandberg, who he dated for three years until 2019, told the Mail in 2016 that publishing the article could damage the outlet’s relationship with Facebook. Sandberg reportedly contacted the Daily Mail in 2016 and 2019 to stop the articles, and both times the stories never ran.
According to Wall Street Journal coverage, employees from Meta and Activision were involved in Sandberg’s efforts to finish the story, as well as outside consultants.
Facebook is investigating whether Sandberg violated internal rules, the Journal reported, but a spokesman denied the allegations. “Sheryl Sandberg has never threatened MailOnline’s business relationship with Facebook to influence an editorial decision. This story tries to make connections that don’t exist,” said Mao-Lin Shen, a spokesman for Meta.
Some Facebook executives believe any effort by Sandberg to stop a news article could be viewed as a threat given her powerful role at the company, the Journal reported.
Sheryl Sandberg listens to speeches during a visit to Paris in January 2017. Photo: Philippe Wojazer/ReutersSandberg advisors were reportedly concerned that news of an injunction against Kotick could tarnish the meta-manager’s reputation as an advocate for women. Positioning herself as an advocate for women in the workplace, Sandberg wrote the 2013 book Lean In, which encourages women to “sit at the table” and seek challenges to advance in their careers.
In 2014, according to court documents reviewed by the Journal, Kotick allegedly traveled uninvited to an ex-girlfriend’s home and, after she broke up with him, molested her because of his “bullying and controlling nature.” The incident prompted her to seek a restraining order, which lasted about three weeks.
In a statement, Kotick told the Journal that his reporting was inaccurate and that he never said Sandberg threatened the Daily Mail. Instead, Kotick said, the Mail chose not to publish the story because it wasn’t true.
Kotick’s ex-partner, who issued the restraining order, repeated his statement that the allegations she once made against him were untrue.
“I told the Wall Street Journal that what I said about Bobby 8 years ago was wrong. It’s still wrong. In fact, in 2014 I signed an affidavit clarifying what I had said about Bobby was not true,” she said in a statement her lawyer provided to the Guardian.
Kotick has been heavily criticized in recent months for knowing about “many incidents of sexual harassment, sexual assault and gender discrimination at Activision Blizzard.” The company faced multiple sexual harassment lawsuits and was sued by California for its work culture, which one state agency described as “breeding grounds for harassment and discrimination against women.” A group of shareholders accused Kotick of failing to “either ensure the responsible executives and managers were fired or to recognize and address the system of the company’s hostile workplace culture.”
Activision Blizzard’s board of directors said in a statement that it had been aware of the incident since 2014 and that Kotick had been “completely transparent” to the board.
“The Board, through its attorney Skadden Arps, has carefully examined the facts and circumstances of the events, satisfied itself that the allegations were unfounded and determined that they concern a personal relationship unrelated to the Company’s business. The board continues to have full confidence in Mr Kotick’s leadership and his ability to lead the company,” the Guardian said in a statement.
The Daily Mail did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Guardian.