Name: Unscripted
Rating: 3.8 (25 reviews)
Author: James B Stewart and Rachel Abrams

What’s in it for me? The scandalous story behind a media empire.

You’ve likely heard of most, if not all, of the following media companies: National Amusements, Viacom, CBS, and Paramount.

And you may know what links these companies: for years, they were run by the billionaire business mogul Sumner Redstone.

But what you probably don’t know is the behind-the-scenes drama of his final years at the helm. It involves the geriatric Sumner Redstone, his long-suffering daughter, Shari, and a couple of Sumner’s scheming, much younger lovers.

Certain scenes are like something out of a soap opera. And where one scandalous story ends, another begins – specifically, the disturbing allegations against CBS chairman Les Moonves in the context of the #MeToo movement.

Written by the Pulitzer-winning journalists James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams, Unscripted is a gripping account of events spanning decades, with a dizzying cast of characters.

In this Blink, we’ll try to keep things simple, focusing on the key players and the events between 2010 and 2018. We’ll also mainly be looking at the relationships and scandals rather than the inner workings of the business. You’ll get an insight into what really goes on behind closed doors in LA mansions and Manhattan offices.

So, let’s start by meeting the family at the center of it all – the Redstones.

Meet the Redstones

Most people who are lucky enough to reach their nineties revel in the peace and quiet that typically accompanies old age.

But that wasn’t the case for Sumner Redstone. In the years leading up to his death, at the age of 97, there were business battles, explosive family fights, glamorous younger lovers, and multiple lawsuits.

Then again, there had rarely been a dull moment in Sumner’s life. As a young man, before going to Harvard Law School, he’d joined the military, where he helped crack codes in Japanese.

Then he became a media mogul – the chairman of Viacom and CBS. With his ambition and business acumen, he ended up with an estimated worth of more than $2.5 billion.

Sumner was tough – a survivor. In 1979, there was a fire outside his hotel room. Sumner tried to escape out a window, and hung from the ledge while his arm was engulfed by the flames.

“The pain was excruciating,” Sumner later recalled in his autobiography, “but I refused to let go.”

By the way, he wasn’t alone in that hotel room – he was there with one of his many lovers.

Sumner remained married to his first wife, Phyllis, for more than 50 years … until she decided she’d finally had enough of his serial infidelities.

We’ll come back to Sumner’s complicated love life in a bit. But first, we need to understand his relationship with another woman – his daughter.

Shari Redstone shared her father’s intelligence and business skills. Forbes magazine once ranked her as one of the most powerful women in the world – above Queen Elizabeth II.

Shari was the president of National Amusements. And as Sumner’s health declined, she became increasingly involved in Viacom and CBS, with the expectation that she would take over after his death.

It should have been a dream team – father and daughter working together. However, it was anything but. According to people who knew them, Shari adored her father and craved his approval. But they would often clash over business decisions.

For example, in 2004, Sumner and Shari butted heads over plans to split Viacom into two separate companies: Viacom and CBS.

These kinds of disputes enraged Sumner. He would bombard Shari with profanity-filled emails, copying Viacom executives into the threads. On multiple occasions, he called her the “c-word.”

When Sumner’s lawyer begged him to tone it down, Sumner got even angrier. He would call his daughter whatever he wanted.

And the relationship between father and daughter would become even more strained in the years to come.

Sumner’s girlfriends

If you google Sumner Redstone, you’ll find articles about his sex obsession – and images of an elderly man with dyed red hair, posing with glamorous, decades-younger women.

Sumner may appear to be an unlikely lothario, but remember: he was a billionaire. And just as he clung to that burning window ledge, he did his best to cling to any attractive young woman that came his way.

A double breakup

As Sumner declined, both physically and mentally, he became completely dependent on Holland and Herzer.

They were involved with every aspect of his care. For Herzer, that included getting her personal assistant to try and “engage” sexually with Sumner – under the supervision of his nurse.

The Les Moonves cover-up

By 2016, Sumner had been diagnosed with dementia and brain damage. And it was finally agreed that he could no longer continue as chairman of Viacom and CBS.

Philippe Dauman took over at Viacom. Although Shari Redstone was initially offered the chair position at CBS, she turned it down – and nominated Les Moonves instead.

Key ideas in Unscripted

About the Author

James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams are Pulitzer-winning journalists who have both written for the New York Times. Abrams was on the reporting team that exposed the sexual misconduct of Harvey Weinstein and other prominent figures. Stewart is the author of eleven books, including Den of Thieves and Deep State.