HBO head apologizes for telling staff to troll social media critics

HBO CEO Casey Bloys on Thursday said he’s sorry for ordering his team to mock critics of HBO Max content.

Mr. Bloys called the idea “very dumb” and said the orders came out of the pandemic while spending an unhealthy amount of time online.

“I have progressed over the last couple of years to [direct messages]. When I take issue with something, I DM you. Many of you are gracious enough to engage in a back and forth with me,” he said Thursday.

It’s unclear if the policy was carried out in an organized fashion or if there was a concerted effort to bully critics online by HBO or Max staff.

The campaign was unveiled as part of a lawsuit that revealed text messages from Mr. Bloys.

The lawsuit, brought by former HBO executive assistant Sully Temori, alleges he was harassed while working for the company and was fired for retaliatory reasons.

HBO said it aims to fight Mr. Temori’s suit but did acknowledge Mr. Bloys’ text messages as inappropriate.