And, just like that, Amazon has put its programming chief, Roy Price, on a leave of absence mere hours after a more detailed sexual harassment claim was leveled against him.
On Thursday, Isa Hackett, an executive producer on Amazon’s TV series The Man in the High Castle (she also happens to be the daughter of Philip K. Dick, and is producing the forthcoming anthology series Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dream), accused the Amazon Studios head of harassing her in July 2015 in the midst of Comic-Con in San Diego.
According to Hackett’s account in The Hollywood Reporter, Price propositioned Hackett in a cab on the way to a party after the two had spent the day promoting The Man in the High Castle. Hackett claims Price told her, “You will love my dick” (reportedly a reference to another Amazon series I Love Dick). Later, at the party, Price allegedly came up to Hackett and loudly exclaimed “Anal sex!” in her ear.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Hackett had relayed the incidents to at last two people immediately after they allegedly took place. She also didn’t delay in reporting Price’s behavior to Amazon executives. An inquiry was launched, and Hackett never saw Price again at an event for one of her shows, but other than that, the findings of the investigation remain mysterious to her, she says.
Hackett told The Hollywood Reporter of her decision to go public with her story:
“As somebody with some power, I feel it is imperative for me to speak out. I want to call out [Price’s] behavior and also hold myself to a certain standard. It’s difficult because of the fact that I have two shows and I love those shows and I value my experience at Amazon. But this incident has been looming and it’s difficult to shake it. I didn’t want the details to come out previously because I didn’t want to distract or deflate the energies of all the people who are so invested in these shows, and all of that positivity. You don’t want to bring this into it. It feels demoralizing.”
An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday, “Roy Price is on a leave of absence effective immediately.” The spokesperson added that the company is “reviewing our options for the projects we have with The Weinstein Co.”
On Thursday, lawyer Lisa Bloom, who recently dropped Harvey Weinstein as a client, also dropped Price, whom she had been representing since the allegations first surfaced in August. Bloom’s representative told Variety, “Lisa’s representation of Roy Price has concluded.”