NBCUniversal Vice Chairman Ron Meyer Resigns After Disclosing Affair and Extortion Attempt

Robyn Merrett
·2 min read

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Ron Meyer

NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer is resigning after disclosing his extramarital affair and an alleged extortion attempt made against him.

A rep for NBCUniversal did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Meyer's sudden exit was announced in a company memo Tuesday morning. He has been with the company for more than two decades.

"I am writing to share some unfortunate news. Late last week Ron Meyer informed NBCUniversal that he had acted in a manner which we believe is not consistent with our company policies or values," NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell announced in the memo obtained by Deadline and Variety.

"Based on Ron's disclosure of these actions, we have mutually concluded that Ron should should leave the company, effective immediately. We thank Ron for his 25 years of service, and for his significant contributions to NBCUniversal," Shell added.

Meyers sent out his own resignation letter, explaining that he recently "disclosed" to his family that he had "made a settlement, under threat, with a woman outside the company who had made false accusations against me."

Meyers admitted that he and the woman had a "very brief and consensual affair" many years ago.

"I made this disclosure because other parties learned of the settlement and have continuously attempted to extort me into paying them money or else they intended to falsely implicate NBCUniversal, which had nothing to do with this matter, and to publish false allegations about me," Meyer wrote in the memo, obtained by Deadline and Variety. "After I disclosed this matter to the company, we mutually decided that I should step down from my role as Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal."

Meyer then raved over his 25 years with NBCUniversal saying, "I've spent 25 years helping to grow and support an incredible company in a job I love."

"It is the people at this company that I will miss the most," he continued. "I regret what has happened and I am so sorry for all the people in my life I may have let down, especially and most importantly, my family."

Meyer was previously married to former model Kelly Chapman, and they have a son and daughter together. The pair separated in 2018, according to a Page Six report.

Meyer began as president and COO of Universal Studios in 1995. In 2013, he was promoted to vice chairman of NBCUniversal. He is also a co-founder of Creative Arts Agency.