A Former TMZ Host Claims the Gossip Outlet Had a Toxic Workplace

A former employee of the gossip outlet TMZ and a related website filed a discrimination complaint on Tuesday with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, saying she was wrongfully fired after complaining about a misogynistic workplace under the leadership of Harvey Levin.

The former employee, Bernadette Zilio, 27, said in her complaint that she faced discrimination and was threatened with a lawsuit if she went public with her case. Ms. Zilio and her female colleagues described the workplace as a “boys’ club,” a “bro-fest” and a “frat house,” where women were belittled and held to a higher standard than their male colleagues, according to the complaint.

Ms. Zilio worked at the celebrity-news powerhouse from 2015 to 2020 and served as an on-air host of the syndicated show “TMZ on TV.” In her complaint, she named Mr. Levin, Warner Bros., the production company EHM and two male editorial employees.

TMZ and TooFab, its related website, are part of Warner Bros., the ATT-owned entertainment company that produces “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which recently ousted three top producers during an investigation of what was said to be a toxic work environment.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/25/business/media/Bernadette-Zilio-tmz-discrimination-complaint.html