Kotick's ex-girlfriend obtained a restraining order against him
Brendan Sinclair
Managing Editor
Thursday 21st April 2022
Activision Blizzard
An ex-girlfriend of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick obtained a temporary restraining order against him in 2014 after she accused him of harassing her at her home, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Furthermore, on two occasions when UK tabloid The Daily Mail was preparing to report on that restraining order, Kotick's then-girlfriend, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, persuaded the paper not to cover it. The Wall Street Journal reports that happened once at the beginning of her relationship with Kotick in 2016, and once near the end of it in 2019.
It goes on to say that the efforts were planned by Kotick, Sandberg, employees of both Facebook and Activision, as well as outside legal and PR advisors.
The paper reports that Kotick had told others that Sandberg threatened the Daily Mail, saying publishing an article about the restraining order would hurt the outlet's business relationship with Facebook.
Kotick denied saying that when asked by the paper.
As for the restraining order, a petition for a longer duration restraining order was dropped at the request of both parties three weeks after being filed. The Wall Street Journal cited "people with knowledge of the matter" as saying Kotick's ex-girlfriend from 2014 told people her declaration included exaggerations and falsehoods.
That declaration -- which is missing from the Los Angeles County Superior Court public case file regarding the restraining order but a transcript of which was reviewed by the paper -- says the woman broke up with Kotick due to his bullying and controlling behavior, and he responded by showing up to her home uninvited and trying to get in, leader her to call police.
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