Tavis Smiley
Talk show host Tavis Smiley speaks during the 'Tavis Smiley' panel at the PBS portion of the 2011 Winter TCA press tour held at the Langham Hotel on Jan. 9, 2011, in Pasadena, California. Getty Images/Frederick M. Brown

UPDATE: Thursday, 3:15 a.m. EST — In a Facebook post Thursday morning, Tavis Smiley, who was accused of sexual misconduct, said he was “shocked” and that he intends to “fight back” against the “so-called investigation.”

Smiley also added he has “utmost respect” for women and that he celebrates “the courage of those women who have come forth of late to share their own truth.”

“Let me also assure you that I have never groped, inappropriately exposed myself or coerced any colleague in the workplace ever in my 30-year career. If having a consensual relationship with a colleague years ago is the stuff that leads to this kind of public humiliation and personal destruction, heaven help us,” he further said.

Original story

American talk show host Tavis Smiley was suspended by PBS in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against him.

In a statement, a representative for PBS said: "Effective today, PBS has indefinitely suspended distribution of ‘Tavis Smiley,’ produced by TS Media, an independent production company. PBS engaged an outside law firm to conduct an investigation immediately after learning of troubling allegations regarding Mr. Smiley. This investigation included interviews with witnesses as well as with Mr. Smiley. The inquiry uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS, and the totality of this information led to today’s decision."

According to the Richest, Smiley has a net worth of $10 million as of 2012. A well-known talk show host, Smiley is also a political commentator, philanthropist, host, entrepreneur, and an advocate.

His suspension news was first published by Variety. In a report, the publication stated PBS hired an attorney named Sarah Taylor Wirtz to investigate accusations against Smiley.

According to sources, the investigation launched by Wirtz found credible information that Smiley engaged in sexual relationships with many of his subordinates. Some of his subordinates, under the condition of anonymity, also said their employment status was related to their sexual relations with Smiley.

“This investigation included interviews with witnesses as well as with Mr. Smiley. The inquiry uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS, and the totality of this information led to today's decision," Jennifer R. Byrne, PBS Vice President for Corporate Communications, said in a statement.

Smiley has not yet responded to any of the allegations or his suspension.

As of now, Smiley has quite a few projects in the pipeline. Among them is a development deal with Warner Bros. Television. Under his deal with Warner Bros., Smiley is scheduled to work on a book — “Before You Judge Me: The Triumph and Tragedy of Michael Jackson’s Last Days.”

Born in Gulfport, Mississippi, Smiley was raised by his single mother Joyce Marie Roberts. As a child, Smiley was once accused by a pastor of disobeying and disrespecting his teacher during Sunday school. Smiley, however, denied the accusations. Smiley attended Indiana University and in the late 80s asked to worked as an aide of Tom Bradley, the then mayor of Los Angeles. In 1991, Smiley became a radio commentator and started hosting the talk show — BET Talk, an evening public affairs program on Black Entertainment Television. Smiley also hosted The Tavis Smiley Show on the National Public Radio (NPR) and Tavis Smiley on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

RELATED STORIES