Sexual misconduct accusations rock Lionsgate legal affairs department

Former Lionsgate Entertainment Corp. general counsel Wayne Levin has been accused of harassment and abuse by a former subordinate, which included “a nonconsensual sexual contract.”

Wendy Jaffe, a former Lionsgate executive vice president of legal affairs, told The Wall Street Journal that Levin abused her from 2002 to 2003, “overworking her to the point that she developed health problems including blurred vision and when she discussed leaving, questioned her abilities.”

Levin disappeared from the corporation in November 2017, and Lionsgate made no announcement. His attorney told The WSJ that he left for “personal and medical reasons” and had been considering resigning before the allegations surfaced after Jaffe left Lionsgate in 2016. His lawyer told WSJ that “Mr. Levin will not respond in the press to Ms. Jaffe’s allegations.”

A spokesperson for Lionsgate told TheWrap, “We never comment on specific personnel actions, but we take sexual harassment allegations very seriously, investigate them thoroughly and independently and take appropriate remedial action. We are committed to a safe, respectful and tolerant environment for all of our employees.”

According to The WSJ, the accusations resulted in negotiations resulting in two settlement agreements and one $2.5 million payment from the company to Jaffe.