“The board, through its counsel Skadden Arps, has done a thorough examination of the facts and circumstances of the events, satisfied itself that there was no merit to the allegations, and notes that they concern a personal relationship that has nothing to do with the business of the Company. The Activision Blizzard board of directors said in a statement that it has been aware of the incident since 2014, and that Kotick had been “fully transparent” to the board. A group of shareholders accused Kotick of failing either “to ensure that the executives and managers responsible were terminated or to recognize and address the systematic nature of the company’s hostile workplace culture”. The company has faced multiple sexual harassment lawsuits and was sued by California over its workplace culture, which a state agency described as “a breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women”. Kotick has been heavily criticized in recent months over accusations that he was aware of “many incidents of sexual harassment, sexual assault and gender discrimination at Activision Blizzard”. In fact, in 2014, I signed a sworn statement making clear that what I had said about Bobby was untrue” she said in a statement that her attorney provided to the Guardian. “I told the Wall Street Journal that what I said 8 years ago about Bobby was false. Kotick’s ex-partner who took out the restraining order echoed his statement that the allegations she once made against him were untrue. Instead, Kotick said, the Mail chose not to run the story because it was not true. In a statement, Kotick told the Journal that its reporting was inaccurate, and that he never said Sandberg threatened the Daily Mail. The incident prompted her to obtain a temporary restraining order, which lasted about three weeks. In 2014, according to the court documents reviewed by the Journal, Kotick allegedly traveled to the home of an ex-girlfriend uninvited, harassing her after she had broken up with him because of his “bullying and controlling nature”. Sandberg has positioned herself as an advocate for women in the workplace, writing the 2013 book Lean In, which encourages women “sit at the table” and seek challenges to advance in their careers.

Photograph: Philippe Wojazer/ReutersĪdvisers to Sandberg were reportedly worried the news of a restraining order against Kotick could damage the Meta executive’s reputation as a champion for women.

Sheryl Sandberg listens to speeches during a visit in Paris on January 2017.

Sheryl sandberg novel