The Road Across the Desert: Uncovered Stories of Shari Moonves, the CEO of CBS, and the Los Angeles Police Investigation in the Case of a Sexually-Defiant CBS Captain

This account is based on numerous interviews, including with Ms. Golden-Gottlieb and Gil Schwartz, the former head of corporate communications for CBS; confidential notes of interviews of Mr. Moonves by CBS lawyers; a person directly familiar with how Ms. Golden-Gottlieb’s complaint was handled by the police; and documents obtained by the New York attorney general’s office. It is detailed in a forthcoming book by these two reporters, “Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy,” to be published by Penguin Press in February. The L.A.P.D. did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

The L.A.P.D said this week that it had begun an investigation into the behavior of the retired captain. The circumstances surrounding the officer and Mr. Moonves highlight the powerful entertainment industry attempting to use any means at its disposal, including relationships with law enforcement, to try and keep allegations of wrongdoing. And that can be especially true when the allegations involve a “V.I.P.,” as the Los Angeles police described Mr. Moonves in a referral to the county district attorney regarding the accusation, which was viewed by The New York Times.

Mr. Moonves was kicked out of CBS after a dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct, including one of his own doctor. While he wasn’t fired for it, Mr. Moonves did not get a dime of the money he was due. Initially a reluctant participant in her father’s business empire, intimidated by the big names attending the annual media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, Ms. Redstone not only survived the “nuclear” option but emerged on top.

Today Shari Redstone ranks among the most powerful executives in Hollywood. She serves as the non executive chair of Paramount Global, the company she oversees and which is home to hits such as “Top Gun” and “Yellowstone”.