<p>Top Hollywood executive Ron Meyer, who once ran Universal Studios after co-founding the influential CAA talent agency, has left NBCUniversal after admitting to having an affair and paying the woman a settlement, the company and Meyer said Tuesday.</p>.<p>The departure of Meyer -- an industry veteran who helped foster the careers of Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep as a "super-agent" and oversaw a long string of Universal hits as studio chief -- comes as Hollywood clamps down on previously unchecked misbehaviour by its moguls.</p>.<p>"Late last week Ron Meyer informed NBCUniversal that he had acted in a manner which we believe is not consistent with our company policies or values," said NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell in a statement to AFP.</p>.<p>"We have mutually concluded that Ron should leave the company, effective immediately," Shell added.</p>.<p>In a separate statement, Meyer said a woman he "had a very brief and consensual affair with many years ago" had levelled false accusations at him, forcing him to "make a settlement, under threat."</p>.<p>Meyer recently informed his family and employers about the affair after "other parties" learned of the settlement and tried to extort him, he added.</p>.<p>In a bizarre twist, Hollywood trade publications identified the unnamed woman as <em>Ocean's 8</em> star Charlotte Kirk, whose separate affair with ex-Warner Bros chief Kevin Tsujihara led to that studio boss's downfall last year.</p>.<p>The manager of Kirk, a 28-year-old British-born actress, declined to comment.</p>.<p>Meyer leaves his role as vice-chairman of NBCUniversal, a position he had held since 2013 after a lengthy reign as studio head at Universal.</p>.<p>During his 18-year run at the top of the movie studio, Meyer oversaw hits including <em>Gladiator</em>, <em>Erin Brockovich</em> and <em>The Fast and the Furious</em>.</p>.<p>In his later corporate role at NBCUniversal, Meyer helped engineer a $3.8 billion acquisition of DreamWorks Animation.</p>.<p>Meyer, 75, began his entertainment career as a messenger for a Hollywood agency after dropping out of high school and joining the US Marines.</p>.<p>In 1975 he left industry giant William Morris Agency to co-found CAA, which would go on to enjoy its own period of preeminence.</p>
<p>Top Hollywood executive Ron Meyer, who once ran Universal Studios after co-founding the influential CAA talent agency, has left NBCUniversal after admitting to having an affair and paying the woman a settlement, the company and Meyer said Tuesday.</p>.<p>The departure of Meyer -- an industry veteran who helped foster the careers of Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep as a "super-agent" and oversaw a long string of Universal hits as studio chief -- comes as Hollywood clamps down on previously unchecked misbehaviour by its moguls.</p>.<p>"Late last week Ron Meyer informed NBCUniversal that he had acted in a manner which we believe is not consistent with our company policies or values," said NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell in a statement to AFP.</p>.<p>"We have mutually concluded that Ron should leave the company, effective immediately," Shell added.</p>.<p>In a separate statement, Meyer said a woman he "had a very brief and consensual affair with many years ago" had levelled false accusations at him, forcing him to "make a settlement, under threat."</p>.<p>Meyer recently informed his family and employers about the affair after "other parties" learned of the settlement and tried to extort him, he added.</p>.<p>In a bizarre twist, Hollywood trade publications identified the unnamed woman as <em>Ocean's 8</em> star Charlotte Kirk, whose separate affair with ex-Warner Bros chief Kevin Tsujihara led to that studio boss's downfall last year.</p>.<p>The manager of Kirk, a 28-year-old British-born actress, declined to comment.</p>.<p>Meyer leaves his role as vice-chairman of NBCUniversal, a position he had held since 2013 after a lengthy reign as studio head at Universal.</p>.<p>During his 18-year run at the top of the movie studio, Meyer oversaw hits including <em>Gladiator</em>, <em>Erin Brockovich</em> and <em>The Fast and the Furious</em>.</p>.<p>In his later corporate role at NBCUniversal, Meyer helped engineer a $3.8 billion acquisition of DreamWorks Animation.</p>.<p>Meyer, 75, began his entertainment career as a messenger for a Hollywood agency after dropping out of high school and joining the US Marines.</p>.<p>In 1975 he left industry giant William Morris Agency to co-found CAA, which would go on to enjoy its own period of preeminence.</p>