Former Amazon Exec Jeff Blackburn Elected to Roku Board of Directors

Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos ended their Eurotrip in style. The pair was photographed aboard a stunning speedboat as they departed Sardinia, following some relaxing days spent on their yacht. Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos are all smiles exploring the South of France hand in handLauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos’s body language proves they are crazy in love with each otherLauren Sanchez is all in for summer in new bikini picsPhotographers captured the two as they were departing Sardinia aboard a white and blue speedboat.

EXCLUSIVE: Writer-director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes has continued rounding out an impressive cast for his debut feature, the dark veteran dramedy My Dead Friend Zoe, bringing Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption), Gloria Reuben (Mr. Robot) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (Brittany Runs a Marathon) aboard for roles.

Naman Ramachandran UPDATED: Suspended RTE director general Dee Forbes has resigned. Forbes said in a statement on Monday: “I regret very much the upset and adverse publicity suffered by RTE, its staff and the unease created among the public in recent days. As director general, I am the person ultimately accountable for what happens within the organisation and I take that responsibility seriously. I am tendering my resignation to RTE with immediate effect.” PREVIOUSLY: Irish public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE) has suspended its director general Dee Forbes, a former high-level Discovery executive, over an ongoing scandal around an overpaid TV host.

EXCLUSIVE: James DuBose, the former Fox Soul General Manager, is launching his own AVOD platform, In The Black Network, a streaming service that highlights Black voices and original stories. 

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Zenia Mucha, who spent two decades as Disney’s top spokesperson before leaving the company in 2021, has been hired at TikTok. She’ll serve in the newly formed role of chief brand and communications officer and will be responsible for TikTok’s global marketing and communications strategies. Mucha’s hiring is part of a larger shakeup at TikTok. Vanessa Pappas is stepping down as the company’s chief operating officer and Adam Presser, the current chief of staff, has been promoted to head of operations. “Given all the successes reached at TikTok, I finally feel the time is right to move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions,” Pappas said in a note to staff.  “I know the company has a very bright and stable future under the strong leadership of Shou Chew and our executive team, I will be here to support him, the leadership team and all of you during this transition by taking on an advisory role for the company.”

Amazon has spent more than £4.2B ($5.4B) on the UK creative industries including TV and film since 2010, the conglomerate has revealed, contributing £4.8B to the UK economy.

EXCLUSIVE: Andrew Renzi, director of Netflix docuseries Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?, is reuniting with Boardwalk Pictures.

Amazon has been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for what the U.S. regulatory agency described as “years-long” manipulations of its Prime subscription service.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent British actor Jefferson Hall (“House of the Dragons,” “Oppenheimer”) will soon appear on screen in Emirati director Nayla Al Khaja’s psychological thriller “Three,” about a young boy who appears to be possessed. Al Khaja – who is known for standout shorts including horror film “The Shadow” and “Animal” that both play on Netflix – has just wrapped the independently-produced “Three,” her debut feature, which was shot in Thailand. Besides, Hall, “Three” also stars Faten Ahmed; Noura Alabed (“Wiladah”); veteran U.A.E. actor Mari Al Halyan (“On Borrowed Time”); Mohannad Bin Huthail (“Rashash”) and emerging Emirati talent Saud Alzarooni.

Lauren Sánchez continue their summer holiday in Europe, exploring different destinations and indulging in blissful moments. After unveiling their extravagant $500 million yacht in Mallorca, Spain, the power couple has now set their sights on the picturesque shores of southern France.

Justina Machado stars in The Horror of Dolores Roach, the new series on Amazon’s Prime Video dropping July 7. A trailer for the eight-episode series was released (which you can see above) and it previews the capabilities of Dolores Roach’s “magic hands.”

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Fred Ryan, publisher and CEO of the Washington Post, announced that he is stepping down after nine years at Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper. Ryan cited “the decline in civility” in political discourse — and “more broadly across our society” — for his decision to leave the Post to lead the newly created nonpartisan Center on Public Civility, launched by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. In an earlier era, “Political leaders on opposite sides of the aisle could find common ground for the good of the country,” Ryan wrote in a memo to Washington Post staff announcing his departure. “Today, the decline in civility has become a toxic and corrosive force that threatens our social interactions and weakens the underpinnings of our democracy. I feel a strong sense of urgency about this issue.” (Read his memo below.)

EXCLUSIVE: Ramsey Naito, President, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, has a big remit, overseeing all of the groups’ operations from development through release. The respected veteran also has big hopes for an upcoming slate of franchise installments as well as original features. 

Jeff Blackburn, who spearheaded Amazon’s push into video, has joined Roku’s board of directors.

CNN reported Wednesday based on unnamed sources. Farah, who resigned from her role as communications director following the 2020 election, has been outspoken against former President Donald Trump since becoming a media personality.According to the report, the special counsel questioned Farah about Trump’s state of mind leading up to the Capitol riots, in addition to his knowledge of the false claims of election fraud he was touting following his loss to President Joe Biden. Farah was reportedly surprised by the prosecutors’ particular interest in Trump’s mindset following the election. Additionally, the prosecutors asked the former White House aide about former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ involvement in the Capitol attacks, as well as the efforts to coerce then-Vice President Mike Pence into overturning the election, according to CNN’s sources.Last week, Farah said on CNN that she played a key role in getting former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who served under Meadows, to return to testify further before federal prosecutors on June 28 following previous interviews.

Top leaders of CNN’s PR team that oversaw The Atlantic’s disastrous profile of Chris Licht have been fired, TheWrap has confirmed. EVP and global head of communications and marketing Kris Coratti Kelly and head of strategic communications Matt Dornic were among those ousted.According to a source familiar with the decision, the network began cleaning out its communications team Wednesday, just hours after the embattled CEO exited amid plunging ratings and growing discontent within his news staff. The news comes following Licht’s firing on Wednesday.

EXCLUSIVE: Alex Kostich has been appointed to the role of Senior Vice President of Creative Marketing at Madison Wells, the independent production company founded and headed up as CEO by Emmy-nominated producer Gigi Pritzker.

Debra Messing is getting candid about her sitcom days. On Monday, the actress participated in The Magic of at The Paley Center for Media and made a reveal about a former NBC executive who wanted to make a change to her character, Grace Adler's, body.«The very first fitting, they had the chicken cutlets to make me bigger,» Messing told the audience. «I just wasn't a fan of like the whole idea of it.»The 54-year-old actress said that she had no problem speaking up for herself and said that if the executive wanted to make the request, he would have to say it to her directly. «I was like, 'You know what? I don't need that,'» she said.

The Los Angeles Times in 1999. “He is one of the few people who really did change the game. Everyone who knows anything will tell you he revolutionized this business and he is a visionary.

Sophia Scorziello editor Peter Meyer, beloved entertainment industry manager, died on May 14 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. after a five-year battle with sarcoma, his sister Patty K. Meyer shared. He wast 68. Meyer was an agent and manager to numerous Hollywood industry professionals. Since 1990, he represented clients under his agency, Meyer Management. “He was known and beloved by hundreds of industry pros,” Patty said. Most recently, he represented rights holders and producers on Denzel Washington’s “The Equalizer.” Meyer attended Yale University where he wrote his senior thesis, “MGM and the Studio System in the Age of Mass Production.” The thesis was later published as an award-winning book and was also printed in Variety.