Estrella TV, the Spanish-language TV network that has been roiled by a sexual harassment scandal, cut ties this week with its veteran news director as well as the anchor who claimed he had harassed her.
Karla Amezola filed a lawsuit in June alleging that Andres Angulo would routinely call her into his office and beg her for sex. Though the on-air personality refused his advances, the behavior went on for several years, according to the suit. Once, Amezola contended that Angulo grabbed her by the wrists and forcibly kissed her. Many of the sessions were recorded. Amezola said she was denied a raise and demoted after refusing entreaties.
Several other women also came forward to allege that Angulo had harassed them, both at Estrella and when he was an executive producer at Univision. Liberman Broadcasting, which owns Estrella, has cultivated a raunchy reputation, and has been hit with repeated claims of sex harassment and discrimination over the last decade.
Popular on Variety
Estrella TV launched an investigation into Amezola’s claims last year. In the meantime, she remained on the air as anchor and Angulo remained news director. The station also hired a local news director, and Amezola reported to her.Last week, Amezola filed an amended complaint in which she claimed that her new supervisor told her she needed to make a number of changes, including changing the clothes she wore on air and losing weight. Her lawyers alleged this was retaliation for her original harassment lawsuit.
The company cut ties with both Angulo and Amezola this week.
“Their last day was Tuesday,” said Marco Gonzalez, a company spokesman, who declined to comment further.
Angulo could not be reached for comment. Amezola told Veronica Villafañe, who covers the Latino media industry, that she saw the outcome as a victory.
“I’m happy that they forced him to resign,” she said. “They always defended him and I thought they would never fire him.”
