A former actress featured in a few steamy 1990s movies and the reality TV dating show "Age of Love" stepped forward Sunday as the woman whose sexual harassment claim cost Hewlett-Packard's top executive his job.
Jodie Fisher, 50, identified herself through her attorney as the independent marketing contractor whose allegations eventually caused Friday's stunning resignation of Mark Hurd, CEO of HP.
"I was surprised and saddened that Mark Hurd lost his job over this," Fisher said in a written statement released by Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred. "That was not my intention."
Fisher said she has reached a private, out-of-court settlement with Hurd, but did not disclose the financial terms.
But the single mother of a young son reiterated that she had not been involved romantically with Hurd, who is married and has two children.
"Mark and I never had an affair or intimate sexual relationship," Fisher said. "I first met Mark in 2007, when I interviewed for a contractor job at the company."
The disclosure of Fisher's identity is the latest twist in the executive shakeup that has rocked the Palo Alto hardware giant, which is one of the pillars of Silicon Valley. A company spokeswoman declined to comment Sunday about Fisher.
Hurd, 53, who was highly regarded for turning around Hewlett-Packard's financial fortunes after he succeeded former chief executive Carly Fiorina in 2005, resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment and business misconduct.
HP investigation
The company began an internal investigation after Fisher filed a sexual harassment claim several weeks ago, although the company has not disclosed details of the claim. The probe found no violation of HP sexual harassment policy, but concluded Hurd did violate the company's standards of business conduct.
Hurd had "a close, personal relationship with an HP contractor," but never disclosed that relationship to Hewlett-Packard's board of directors, the company said. The investigation also showed "numerous instances where the contractor received compensation and/or expense reimbursement where there was not a legitimate business purpose," the company said.
In her statement, Fisher said she was "under contract to work at high-level customer and executive summit events held around the country and abroad. I prepared for those events, worked very hard and enjoyed working for HP."
According to the Associated Press, Fisher received up to $5,000 per event to greet people and make introductions among executives.
Work in politics, films
Allred said Fisher formerly worked on the House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control and has a political science degree from Texas Tech University. Allred said Fisher has also been a "successful salesperson" for a Fortune 500 company.
Allred said Fisher had appeared in several television shows and films, "some of which were R-rated, when she was in her 30s."
Fisher's movie credits, according to movie and TV website Internet Movie Database, include roles in a 1992 romantic thriller "Intimate Obsessions," a 1996 erotic thriller "Body of Influence 2," and a 1998 thriller "Sheer Passion," which was described as part of a Playboy "Eros Movie Collection."
Reality TV fans might remember Fisher as a contestant on the 2007 NBC-TV dating show "Age of Love," in which she was one of the women in their 40s battling women in their 20s for the affection of Australian tennis star Mark Philippoussis. Fisher, whose biography for the show listed her as a Santa Monica resident and a vice president of a commercial real estate company, did not win.
In her statement about Hurd, Fisher said she does not intend to make further comments.
"I wish Mark, his family and HP the best," Fisher said.
According to a separation agreement filed Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Hurd will receive a severance payment of $12.2 million within 30 days, plus shares of common stock worth almost $16 million.
HP says checks in place
During a conference call with reporters Sunday, interim CEO Cathie Lesjak would not comment about Hurd's actions, but said Hewlett-Packard investors and customers have been "extremely supportive."
"They respect how we dealt with the situation with transparency and speed," Lesjak said. "The bottom line is, the HP brand is strong."
Lesjak also said what happened with Hurd showed the company does have the necessary controls in place.
"One thing happened in this company on Friday - that is the CEO left. The rest of the company did not change," she said.
Chronicle staff writer Ryan Kim contributed to this report.
This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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