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REVEALED: NBCUniversal's Ron Meyer 'paid sex-for-roles actress Charlotte Kirk $2M in blackmail money' to keep their affair quiet - as Hellboy director says there 'isn't a grain of truth' to claims he also backmailed him

Outsted NBCUniversal vice chairman paid British actress Charlotte Kirk $2 million in four installments to keep their affair secret.  Thr...

Outsted NBCUniversal vice chairman paid British actress Charlotte Kirk $2 million in four installments to keep their affair secret. 
Three sources told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that Meyer had agreed to pay Kirk last year in exchange for her signing a nondisclosure agreement about their affair.    
The revelation came after director Neil Marshall said there 'isn't a grain of truth' to allegations he made a separate attempt to blackmail Meyer.   
The the staunch denial was made a day after reports emerged that Marshall, who directed the 2019 action flick Hellboy and is currently engaged to Kirk, was one of two filmmakers who allegedly sought to extort Meyer for money in a scandal that led to the mogul's ouster from NBCUniversal.  
'Any of my friends, anyone who's worked closely with me, anyone who knows me personally, and not just as some name in a headline, will know that what's being said about me is a load of old bollocks,' Marshall said in a statement to Deadline.   
Two insiders told The Wrap that Marshall and fellow director Joshua Newton, who dated Kirk for five years, separately contacted Meyer in the past year demanding money and threatening to expose his extramarital affair with Kirk back in 2012. 
Meyer, 75, allegedly spent months in individual negotiations with the directors, who sought to pressure him into green-lighting their movie projects by threatening to file lawsuits about the affair that named NBCUniversal's parent company Comcast, the sources said. 
The extortion came to light after a draft lawsuit was sent to NBCUniversal directly, previous reports claimed.  
Director Neil Marshall says there 'isn't a grain of truth' to allegations he blackmailed NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer over his affair with British 'sex-for-roles' actress Charlotte Kirk. Marshall and Kirk, who are engaged, are pictured together above
Director Neil Marshall says there 'isn't a grain of truth' to allegations he blackmailed NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer over his affair with British 'sex-for-roles' actress Charlotte Kirk. Marshall and Kirk, who are engaged, are pictured together above
Meyer was ousted from NBCUniversal on Tuesday after it was revealed people were trying to extort him over an affair he had with Kirk in 2012. At the time of the affair Meyer was still married to his wife of 25 years, Kelly Chapman (above together). The pair separated in 2018 
In his statement issued Thursday, Marshall called the allegations regarding him, Meyer and NBCUniversal 'nothing but lies based upon falsehoods'. 
'There isn't a grain of truth to this story, so I urge you, don't just look at a headline and take it as gospel,' he said. 
'Certain websites believe they can publish whatever scurrilous garbage that is fed to them with impunity. Such provocative nonsense doesn't deserve my time, or yours. 
Marshall called the allegations regarding him, Meyer and NBCUniversal 'nothing but lies based upon falsehoods'. The Hellboy director is pictured above with Kirk
Marshall called the allegations regarding him, Meyer and NBCUniversal 'nothing but lies based upon falsehoods'. The Hellboy director is pictured above with Kirk
'The trouble is, those lies are out there now, and my career and reputation have already been irreparably damaged by them.'
Marshall went on to hit out at a 'tightly knit group of morally corrupt dinosaurs [that has] ruled the roost here in Hollywood', saying: 'Their extinction date long overdue.'
'Thanks to the #metoo movement, and every resignation and revelation it has brought about, things are changing for the better,' he wrote. 
'What we need now is more women in charge of studios, and the absolute abolishment of the terrible casting couch culture (which has morphed into sexual predation) that has long been an accepted part of the business.'
Turning back to the Meyer scandal he said: 'What we have here is a witch-hunt, plain and simple, perpetrated by overprivileged men in positions of power, aided by friends of equal standing and lack of ethics, fuelled by clickbait headlines such as we've seen these past few days, and carried out against the woman I love, my fiancé Charlotte Kirk. 
'I am simply collateral damage, thrown to the wolves by using some trumped up malicious allegations as a smokescreen to distract the focus from the real villains here. 
'Charlotte has had the guts to stand up to her detractors and not allow herself to be bullied into submission, and neither will I.' 
Meanwhile Newton, who cast Kirk in a lead role in his 2019 film Nicole & O.J., has not spoken publicly about the allegations against him. 
In his statement denying the Meyer allegations, Marshall said: 'What we have here is a witch-hunt, plain and simple, perpetrated by overprivileged men in positions of power, aided by friends of equal standing and lack of ethics, fuelled by clickbait headlines such as we've seen these past few days, and carried out against the woman I love, my fiancé Charlotte Kirk.' Pictured: Kirk and Marshall together in a photo from her Instagram account
In his statement denying the Meyer allegations, Marshall said: 'What we have here is a witch-hunt, plain and simple, perpetrated by overprivileged men in positions of power, aided by friends of equal standing and lack of ethics, fuelled by clickbait headlines such as we've seen these past few days, and carried out against the woman I love, my fiancé Charlotte Kirk.' Pictured: Kirk and Marshall together in a photo from her Instagram account 
Joshua Newton dated Kirk (above together in 2016) for five years and cast her in a lead role in his 2019 film Nicole & O.J. Newton allegedly tried to blackmail Meyer separately from Marshall
In a statement announcing his resignation on Tuesday, Meyer revealed that 'third parties' had tried to extort him over his consensual affair with a woman 'many years ago' but did not disclose her name or the identities of the attempted blackmailers.  
The woman was quickly identified as Kirk, who also toppled the career of Warner Bros CEO Kevin Tsujihara last year after she had an affair with him. 
It was claimed at the time that he offered her movie roles in exchange for sex - which he denied vehemently. 
It's unclear when exactly the Meyer-Kirk affair took place but sources told The Hollywood Reporter and Variety that it was in 2012, when she would have been 20 and he, then married and 47 years her senior, would have been 67. 
It ended with Kirk making some kind of allegation against him. He paid her a 'settlement' and kept the entire ordeal quiet. 

Three sources familiar with the settlement told the LA Times that Meyer agreed last year to pay Kirk $2million total, spread across four separate installments. 
The sources said at least one $500,000 payment was made.  
When others learned of that settlement, they began a scheme to extort Meyer over it.  
A source told Page Six that someone anonymously sent a draft lawsuit to NBCUniversal, threatening to make the details public. 
The network confronted Meyer, who said he thought he could handle it 'on his own', and encouraged his resignation this week. 
'Universal asked Ron: 'Why didn't you tell us you were being extorted?' He told them: 'I thought I could handle it.'
'Universal said: 'We can't allow you and the company to be extorted, you should have called the FBI,'' the source claimed, adding that Meyer was an 'idiot' for ever paying Kirk. 
Two other insiders told Variety that Meyer did reach out to the FBI for help with the extortion attempts - but the FBI would not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation into the matter.  
Meyer and Kirk (above in 2018) allegedly had an affair in 2012, when she was 20 and he was 67. Three sources told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that Meyer had agreed to pay Kirk $2million in four installments in exchange for her signing a nondisclosure agreement
Meyer and Kirk (above in 2018) allegedly had an affair in 2012, when she was 20 and he was 67. Three sources told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that Meyer had agreed to pay Kirk $2million in four installments in exchange for her signing a nondisclosure agreement
Newton (pictured with Kirk in 2013) has not spoken publicly about the allegations against him
Newton (pictured with Kirk in 2013) has not spoken publicly about the allegations against him
Meyer and his wife Kelly Chapman announced they were separating in 2018 after 25 years of marriage. Since then, the source said he's dated 'a lot of women' and that while many were younger, all of the relationships were consensual. 
'The irony is that Ron is one of the most loved people in Hollywood. 
'He dated a lot of women after his divorce. They may not have been the totally appropriate women for his age and status, but it was always consensual.
'He may have got into trouble with his womanizing and gambling, but it wasn't illegal. He was just stupid. Classic gambler mentality — he got himself too deep into situations he couldn't control,' the source said. 
Kirk declined to comment through her manager.
Warner Bros chief Kevin Tsujihara was fired last year after their interactions became public
Warner Bros chief Kevin Tsujihara was fired last year after their interactions became public
The saga began on Tuesday, when Meyer stepped down.  
'I recently disclosed to my family and the company that I made a settlement, under threat, with a woman outside the company who had made false accusations against me. 
'Admittedly, this is a woman I had a very brief and consensual affair with many years ago,' he said. 
'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,' he said. 
Meyer has been married twice - first to Ellen Meyer, the mother of his two oldest daughters, in 1975. 
The pair divorced 11 years later and Meyer went on to marry model Kelly Chapman in 1993. 
Meyer and Chapman, who have a son and a daughter together, announced that they would be separating after 25 years together in May 2018. 
'While we've grown apart, we remain best of friends and will always share the love we have for our beautiful family,' the couple said in a joint statement at the time.  
NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell released a statement about Meyer's departure on Tuesday, saying that the vice chairman 'acted in a manner which we believe is not consistent with our company policies or values'. 
'Based on Ron's disclosure of these actions, we have mutually concluded that Ron should leave the company, effective immediately,' Shell said. 
'We thank Ron for his 25 years of service, and for his significant contributions to NBCUniversal.' 
The Hollywood Reporter and Variety were first to identify Kirk as the woman with whom Meyer had an affair, citing unnamed sources.  
Kirk was thrust into the spotlight last year after it was revealed her relationship with Tsujihara had led to his ouster from the company. She opened up about the ordeal in an interview with DailyMailTV in April 2019 (pictured)
Kirk was thrust into the spotlight last year after it was revealed her relationship with Tsujihara had led to his ouster from the company. She opened up about the ordeal in an interview with DailyMailTV in April 2019 (pictured) 
Charlotte Kirk breaks silence on sex for roles
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Kirk's attorney, Raymond Markovich, told Variety that he does not know Meyer and had not arranged a settlement between the executive and his client. 
Markovich did not respond when asked if Kirk had signed or engaged in a settlement, the outlet reported.  
Kirk - whose acting credits include Ocean's 8, How To Be Single and Vice - made headlines last year after it was revealed that her affair with the married Warner Bros CEO had led to his ouster.  
The actress was just 21 when she had sex with Tsujihara, 28 years her senior, with the Hollywood executive promising to help her acting career after their rendezvous in a motel in 2013.
Kirk in a recent social media post. She has not commented on the Meyer claims
Kirk in a recent social media post. She has not commented on the Meyer claims 
In March 2019 her texts to Tsujihara, his friend Australian billionaire James Packer -who was also her lover, and film director Brett Ratner were leaked - prompting Tsujihara to step down from his position as one of the movie world's most powerful men. 
It was widely seen as a moment of vindication for the #MeToo movement that a CEO's casting couch sex with an actress decades his junior had cost him his job and millions of dollars in pay and bonuses.
But Kirk told DailyMailTV in her first television interview in April 2019 that she does not see what happened as part of #MeToo. 
'I don't consider myself a victim then because it was my choice,' Kirk said. 
'I wasn't forced into anything and I did what I wanted to do - good or bad. I would make completely different choices now and I regret doing that.'
Kirk went on to say that she wants to be judged on her own merits as an actress and that her roles were gained entirely without the help of any powerful Hollywood sponsors.
'I have been thrust into the limelight and no one had heard of me before this. My intention was to make a big bang in the world but not for this, for my work,' she said.
'It's terrible but I'm trying to reverse that by showing people my abilities.'
Kirk insisted that she did not leak the text messages herself and said she had urged the Hollywood Reporter not to run its story exposing her relationship with Tsujihara, who she said had not done anything inappropriate. 
Sources told The Wrap that Kirk sought settlements from Tsujihara and other related individuals who she claimed had promised her movie roles - and that Meyer offered her advice on those efforts. 
A lawyer for Tsujihara denied that he ever made a settlement with her. But sources said she did reach one with with Packer, the Australian movie financier who worked closely with Warner Bros, after her texts with him were revealed.  
Two insiders claimed that Kirk later regretted the terms of her settlement with Packer and blamed Meyer for the sum she received.  
They said Kirk demanded that Meyer pay her to 'even the score' and threatened to expose their affair herself if he refused. 
Meyer ultimately chose to pay Kirk an undisclosed amount to protect his reputation, the insiders claimed.  
Kirk played Nicole Brown Simpson, O.J. Simpson's murdered wife, in the 2019 film Nicole & O.J. She insisted that she was cast on her own merits, not because of Tsujihara
Kirk played Nicole Brown Simpson, O.J. Simpson's murdered wife, in the 2019 film Nicole & O.J. She insisted that she was cast on her own merits, not because of Tsujihara
Kirk, pictured last year, said at the time that she did not consider herself a victim of any of the men because she pursued them
Kirk, pictured last year, said at the time that she did not consider herself a victim of any of the men because she pursued them
Deadline had reported on Tuesday that Meyer became the target of an extortion scheme after he sought to help Tsujihara and Kirk - whom he knew previously - come to a settlement amid the fallout from their scandal. 
Sources suggested that Meyer's offer to help tipped a third party off about the existence of another settlement between Meyer and Kirk.  
Meyer joined Universal Studios as president and chief operating officer in 1995 and held that job until 2013, when he was promoted to vice chairman of NBCUniversal. 
He had a year left on his five-year contract when he stepped down. 
Meyer began his career as a talent agent in the 1960s and made a name for himself by co-founding the powerhouse Creative Acting Agency with Mike Ovitz, Bill Haber, Rowland Perkins and Michael Rosenfeld in 1975. 
Meyer's first wife Ellen (center) is pictured with their daughters Sarah - a movie production assistant - and Jennifer - a jewelry designer - at an event in 2018
Meyer's first wife Ellen (center) is pictured with their daughters Sarah - a movie production assistant - and Jennifer - a jewelry designer - at an event in 2018
He built a reputation in Hollywood circles as a cool-headed people person who helped shepherd the careers of major stars including Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Barbra Streisand and Cher. 
He was set to become an independent producer in the mid-90s before Ovitz convinced him to go to Universal. 
It's was not immediately clear if Meyer would be replaced as vice chairman of NBCUniversal, which is currently in the middle of substantial restructuring of the company's television and streaming unit.  
NBC Entertainment chairman Paul Telegdy was removed from his post earlier this month after he was accused of making racist and homophobic comments. 
At the same time of Telegdy's apparent firing, Lifestyle Networks president Frances Berwick was promoted to an expanded role overseeing business strategy for the entire entertainment side.  
NBCUniversal is currently on the hunt for a new executive to oversee all centralized entertainment programming across the company's various platforms, according to the Hollywood Reporter.  
In his departure statement, Meyer said: '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. 
'I regret what has happened and I am sorry for all the people in my life I may have let down, especially and most importantly, my family.'

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