Who Is Charlie Walk? Fox’s ‘The Four’ Judge Accused Of Sexual Harassment

In an open letter posted Monday, Tristan Coopersmith, the founder of women’s wellness studio Life Lab, alleged that Charlie Walk, a judge on Fox’s new six-episode reality singing competition “The Four,” sexually harassed her for a year while they worked together.

Titled “#MeToo: An Open Letter To Charlie Walk,” Coopersmith began the piece by remembering the day Walk called her to ask her to come work for with him, which she happily accepted because it was the “opportunity of a lifetime” for someone young in the music industry.

“You gave me a fancy office, an assistant and a budget,” she wrote. “You took me backstage to shows and got me private meet ‘n greets with the likes of Prince. You gave me opportunities beyond my wildest imagination.”

While she loved all of the business aspects of the job, she described how she also felt sick every day because of what he allegedly put her through.

“For a year I shuddered at the idea of being called into your office, where you would stealthily close the door and make lewd comments about my body and share your fantasies of having sex with me,” Coopersmith wrote.

The wellness studio owner was 27 at the time and she said she simply laughed it off because she didn’t know what else to do, but the misconduct reportedly continued.

“And then there was that event at your swank pad when you actually cornered me and pushed me into your bedroom and onto your bed,” she wrote. “…You being drunk and me being 6 inches taller was my saving grace.”

After a year of working with Walk, she told his counterpart, whom she does not name, and she was offered money and a “graceful exit” if she wanted it and she decided to take that “dirty money” and move to Los Angeles.

“I don’t wish ill for you, Charlie Walk,” she concluded the letter. “Only the possibility of personal awakening, accountability and transformation so that you can use your power for good. I forgive you, Charlie Walk. I hope you can forgive yourself.”

Aside from being a judge on “The Four,” which has aired four of its six episodes, Walk is the president of Republic Records, a division of Universal Music Group. He’s held this role since 2016, but he started with the company in 2013 as its executive vice president. When he heard about the allegations Monday night, he spoke with Deadline to tell the outlet that they are not true.

“It is very upsetting to learn of this untrue allegation made by someone who worked with me 15 years ago, without incident,” he said. “There has never been a single HR claim against me at any time during my 25+ year career, spanning three major companies…I have consistently been a supporter of the women’s movement and this is the first time I have ever heard of this or any other allegation — and it is false.”

Both Fox and Universal Music told Deadline that their companies, separately, would be investigating into the matter further as they don’t condone any such behavior and take it very seriously.