Billboard’s chief strategy officer, Stephen Blackwell, has resigned — 24 hours after a former intern accused the executive of sexual harassment at a previous job.
Blackwell’s exit was announced to staffers in a Thursday memo from John Amato, president of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group.
“This email serves to inform you that Stephen Blackwell and the company have agreed to part ways,” Amato wrote.
On Wednesday, Amy Rose Spiegel, 26, editor of Talkhouse Music, accused Blackwell of harassment in a post on Twitter. The improper conduct happened when Spiegel was a 19-year-old intern at Death & Taxes, a pop culture publication that Blackwell ran.
Spiegel, author of “Action: A Book About Sex,” claimed Blackwell “sexually harassed me and other women, particularly the youngest ones, who reported directly to him.”
Blackwell could not be reached for comment.
Referring to Spiegel’s Twitter report, Amato wrote, “We would like to clarify that [Wednesday’s] post references conduct which allegedly took place at another company six years prior to Mr. Blackwell joining us. That said, we take these matters very seriously and we are committed to maintaining a work environment free of all forms of harassment and discrimination.”