Paramount sued by former executive, who alleges he was fired for being white and in his 50s
.jpg "Paramount sued by former executive, who alleges he was fired for being white and in his 50s")
Imagine dedicating three decades of your life to a company, only to be told you’re out because you’re “too old” or “too white.” That’s what Joseph E. Jerome, a former senior attorney at Paramount Global’s “Entertainment Tonight”, claims happened to him. In a bold move, he has sued his former employer citing age and race discrimination. It’s a story that echoes globally—just like when Nigerian TV personalities allege they’re being sidelined for younger, fresher faces.
Veteran lawyer Joseph E. Jerome served at media giant Paramount Global (and its predecessor companies) for about thirty years, rising to a senior role as production counsel for the hit show Entertainment Tonight. Now 58 and facing job termination in August 2024, Jerome is suing Paramount—alleging he was dismissed because he didn’t fit the company’s push for younger, ethnically diverse hires.
According to his federal lawsuit filed in California, Jerome claims his termination was framed as part of a “restructuring” when in reality, he and other white attorneys over 50 were replaced by younger and non-white employees. One specific example? He says he was replaced by a 25-year-old Black law school graduate.
His complaint says the process began with a meeting in November 2023 where management reportedly flagged the “older demographics of the viewership” and suggested hiring younger staff as a solution. Soon after, Jerome alleged that executives began criticising him for “thinking old”.
Jerome also points to his department’s internal metrics: he claims executive pay and roles were tied to hitting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) goals—such as increasing ethnically diverse representation among upper management. He argues these metrics indirectly penalised older white men like him.
This isn’t the first headline of its kind. In 2024, a former anchor at CBS News sued the network and Paramount parent company, alleging he was pushed out because of his age, sex and race—all under the guise of diversity quota aims.
And even beyond U.S. borders, the conversation is familiar. In Nigeria’s entertainment circle, older stars sometimes complain they’re passed over in favour of younger, trendier faces—even though their experience runs deep. The global industry is grappling with how to balance diversity and experience without creating new forms of exclusion.
Paramount has not publicly issued a full comment on Jerome's claims. The lawsuit is pending, and it could shake up how media companies weigh age, race, and experience in the post-DEI era.