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Cybill Shepherd Accuses Les Moonves of Making Advances, Says Her Show Was Canceled ‘Shortly After’ 

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Cybil Sheperd, Les MoonvesTommaso Boddi/WireImage; Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage

Speaking out. Cybill Shepherd claimed in a new interview that her response to unwanted advances from former CBS chairman, CEO and president Les Moonves was the reason her hit show, Cybill, ended prematurely.

Related: Hollywood's Sexual Misconduct Scandals

“My show could have run another five years, but I didn’t fall on the right side of Les,” the actress, 68, told Sirius XM’s The Michelle Collins Show. “I wasn’t gonna fall at all for Les.”

The Client List alum went on to allege that production on Cybill, which ran from 1995 to 1998, was shut down “quite shortly after” Moonves, 69, made a pass at her. “His assistant and my assistant made a dinner date and we went to it,” she explained. “He was telling me his wife [Nancy Wiesenfeld] doesn’t turn him on, some mistress doesn’t turn him on, and I’m watching him drink alcohol … and he says, ‘Well, you know, why don’t you let me take you home?'”

Shepherd said she had backup at the ready, however. “I said, ‘No, I’ve got a ride!’ and I have my car outside, with a good friend of mine [who is] an off-duty L.A. police officer.”

According to the three-time Golden Globe winner, the series “would have run another five years” had it not been for that encounter.

Related: TV Shows Gone Too Soon!

Six women accused Moonves of sexual misconduct in July, at which point the network announced that it was “selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation.” The former TV executive was fired by CBS in September after six additional women came forward with new claims against him.

Related: Stars Who Were Fired From Jobs

“Moonves and CBS will donate $20 million to one or more organizations that support the #MeToo movement and equality for women in the workplace,” the network said in a statement at the time.

Moonves denied the September allegations with a statement to The New Yorker: “The appalling accusations in this article are untrue. What is true is that I had consensual relations with three of the women some 25 years ago before I came to CBS. And I have never used my position to hinder the advancement or careers of women. In my 40 years of work, I have never before heard of such disturbing accusations. I can only surmise they are surfacing now for the first time, decades later, as part of a concerted effort by others to destroy my name, my reputation and my career. Anyone who knows me knows that the person described in this article is not me.”

He later released a statement about his firing. “Untrue allegations from decades ago are now being made against me that are not consistent with who I am,” he said at the time. “Effective immediately I will no longer be Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CBS. I am deeply saddened to be leaving the company. I wish nothing but the best for the organization, the newly comprised board of directors and all of its employees.

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