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After Deborah Dugan, former president and CEO of the Recording Academy, was placed on administrative leave amid accusations of bullying, she filed a complaint outlining allegations of discrimination, sexual harassment, corruption, and much more.
She also claimed she was told that her predecessor at the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow—the man who stirred controversy with his remark that women should “step up”—was facing allegations of rape from a female musician. Portnow called those allegations “ludicrous” and “untrue.”
Today (January 23), Dugan and her attorney Douglas Wigdor appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS This Morning to discuss the ongoing situation. On CBS, Dugan denied claims that she bullied employees and created a hostile work environment at the Academy. On GMA, Wigdor said, “The Grammys really is on life support right now.” He continued, “The statements they’re giving about Ms. Dugan creating a toxic work environment, getting the executive board members to make statements—they are in panic mode right now.”
In the complaint, Dugan stated that an artist who “initially ranked 18 out of 20 in the 2019 ‘Song of the Year’ category” was ultimately nominated that same year. Dugan and Wigdor declined to identify the artist in question in the GMA and CBS interviews. Watch the clips below.
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards air on CBS this Sunday night, January 26, at 8 p.m. Eastern. Follow all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the 2020 Grammys.