A CBS executive has been placed on leave after multiple individuals spoke to CNN accusing the senior vice president of talent for CBS Televisions Studios, Vincent “Vinnie” Favale, of using sexual and homophobic language in the workplace.
“I’ll never forget the day he told me he got four erections while watching Jennifer Hudson rehearse,” a female former CBS executive recalled to CNN.
Favale allegedly made the comment about Hudson as he watched the Oscar-winning performer rehearse ahead of a December 2015 appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Two other CBS employees, one former and one current, told CNN they heard Favale say the vulgar remark. Others told CNN they learned about it from co-workers later that day. Of the five sources CNN spoke to about the incident, two said Favale allegedly made the remark in the presence of a CBS standards and practices representative.
Favale was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for CBS, following CNN’s request for comment on this story. Favale denies allegations of retaliation and said his comments were taken out of context.
In his current role, Favale develops programing around talent and advises on comedy bookings for the network. He started his career with CBS in 1996 and served as a senior programming executive for “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” through 2017. He appeared on the program in comedic bits several times during Letterman’s tenure.
From 1998 to 2001, Favale also oversaw the CBS syndicated “Howard Stern Radio Show.” He gained recognition among followers of Stern in numerous appearances on his TV shows between 2004 and 2012. He is also credited as one of the founders of the Comedy Central television network.
According to several people who work or worked with Favale as a CBS executive, the off-color humor prevalent in some comedy circles has followed him professionally.
Nine current and former CBS employees, a mix of men and women, agreed to be interviewed by CNN as part of this story. All spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing non-disclosure agreements, or concern over professional retribution. These individuals described instances in “Late Show” meetings and rehearsals, between 2015 and 2018, where Favale used sexual innuendo, made homophobic comments and allegedly said derogatory remarks about the appearances of female guests.
When contacted by CNN for this story, Favale issued the following statement:
“Allegations that I have ever retaliated against anyone in any fashion are 100% false. I have spent my entire career working at comedy shows, where there has always been a wide latitude to make transgressive jokes while preparing the program. While we make a lot of jokes, these jokes attributed to me, whether said in rehearsals or production meetings, are being taken out of context and were not said in the way being presented here.”
The individuals interviewed for this story said they felt emboldened to share their accounts about Favale’s language after former CBS CEO Les Moonves resigned last month.
Moonves was forced to step down following allegations of sexual harassment and assault in two reports by Ronan Farrow published by The New Yorker. While Moonves acknowledged consensual relations with three women cited in the stories, he disputes the allegations of assault and harassment.
Two sources detailed a problematic “Late Show” department meeting around 2015, where Favale was in attendance and loud construction could be heard outside the office.
“There was a big drill, and we looked outside and went to the window. [Favale] compared the drill to ‘a big black dick’ as it was drilling into the ground,” a former CBS employee recalled. “I couldn’t believe he said that.”
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