Disney/ABC Quietly Settle Disturbing Sexual Assault Lawsuit

For former Good Morning America producer Kirstyn Crawford, her dream job turned into her worst nightmare. According to Crawford, she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by former ABC News senior producer Michael Corn. Corn was also Crawford’s boss at the time. Crawford said that she reported the incidents through the proper channels, but nothing was ever done.

Crawford filed a lawsuit against Disney and ABC in 2021, claiming that they swept her allegations under the rug. In her lawsuit, Crawford claimed that nothing was ever done about the allegations against Corn because he was “untouchable.” He had reportedly turned Good Morning America into one of the most successful morning shows in the country, so ABC did not want to let him go.

Back in June 2022, a New York judge dismissed the lawsuit against ABC, but Crawford vowed to appeal the ruling and keep fighting. It’s been more than a year since then, but we have now learned that Disney and ABC have settled with Crawford for an undisclosed amount of money.

Per The Hollywood Reporter:

A stipulation was filed on Friday in New York state court moving for dismissal of the case “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled, against ABC and Corn, who allegedly assaulted Crawford during a 2015 work trip to Los Angeles for the Academy Awards. Lawyers for Crawford, ABC and Corn signed the document. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

In a statement, an ABC News spokesperson thanked Crawford “for courageously speaking out about her experience at ABC News.” The rep added, “Ms. Crawford thanks ABC News for its prompt response to her formal complaint in 2021.”

Crawford claimed that Corn assaulted her multiple times during the period they worked together. She alleged that, in 2015, he pulled her to him and began kissing her and rubbing her legs.

Crawford claimed that ABC knew that Corn “had a propensity to sexually harass female colleagues” from several other women who had reported him to human resources and senior management. She argued the network “looked the other way” and promoted Corn “due to his commercial success as a producer,” facilitating the “hostile workplace that [he] cultivated through his influence over subordinates’ careers, sexual harassment, gaslighting, and anger management issues.”

Crawford was reportedly not the only woman that Corn sexually assaulted during his time with ABC. It was also alleged that he assaulted former ABC News producer Jill McClain. In 2010, Corn was accused of pinning McClain to a bed and fondling her breasts. Corn denied McClain’s accusations, saying they were completely “fabricated.”

In her original lawsuit, Crawford claimed that she had spoken to Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos about what was going on. She said that he encouraged her to report the assault. She then went to the senior director of publicity for GMA, Heather Riley. Riley reportedly told Crawford that things could get “messy” if she was open about what happened.

Riley never commented on what Crawford said about it. But, in March, Riley was promoted to ABC News’ executive editorial producer of political programming and affairs.

ABC News has repeatedly denied the allegations made against it by Crawford. Shortly after Crawford filed her lawsuit, ABC released a short statement, saying the company was, “committed to upholding a safe and supportive work environment and have a process in place that thoroughly reviews and addresses complaints that are made.”

Corn left ABC in 2016. He has not commented on the settlement.

The settlement comes as ABC sits on a precipice at The Walt Disney Company. According to multiple reports, Disney CEO Bob Iger is considering selling the news giant as Disney looks to cut down on its linear programming. Disney has owned ABC since 1995. The House of Mouse has been offered $10 billion for ABC by media mogul Byron Allen.

Bob Iger has not commented on the potential sale of ABC, and he has not said who the company might be considering selling ABC to.