Richelieu Dennis has reportedly stepped down as CEO of Essence Communications following claims from former and current female staffers that the Sundial Brands co-founder, 49, is the primary culprit behind the publishing company’s toxic work culture. 

The courageous women boldly penned a benumbing essay under the byline Black Female Anonymous via Medium.com on Sunday (June 28) detailing a chilling account of Dennis’ ongoing abuse of power, including sexual harassment, intimidation, colorism, and classism.

The authors intently demanded the resignation of Essence‘s board members whom they also accuse of contributing to the unbearable working conditions. 

Essence: “We demand the immediate resignation of Chief Executive Officer Richelieu Dennis, Essence Ventures board member and former Essence Communications CEO Michelle Ebanks, Chief Operating Officer Joy Collins Profet, and Chief Content Officer Moana Luu.”

The essay described the atmosphere under CEOs Dennis and Ebanks as a “surface-level commitment to Black women” and that Dennis is “driven by greed and a debaucherous sexual appetite”. 

The now-former CEO allegedly has “a history of sleeping with women on the Sundial staff, (the parent company of Shea Moisture he sold to Unilever in 2017) and for the women who don’t seemingly consent, he openly sexually harasses them at private company events.” Staffers expressed their fears of filing complaints on his inexcusable behavior due to his spouse (Martha Dennis) leading the company’s human resources department which they have called a “conflict of interest.”

On Monday (June 29), Essence Communications promptly released a statement denying all accusations.

However, on Tuesday (June 30), Essence Communications released a follow-up response stating Dennis will be stepping down as CEO.

“Out of an abundance of caution and an unwavering commitment to transparency, ESSENCE is in the process of hiring law firms and other independent external experts to assess and review the company’s policies and practices and conduct comprehensive employee interviews,” the statement reads.

Dennis, who founded Shea Moisture products, purchased Essence magazine from TIME magazine in 2018.

Succeeding President Donald Trump green-lighting the historic $2 trillion stimulus package, House Democrats are now proposing a new bill to keep the financial ball rolling for American families plagued with hardship amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On Tuesday (April 14), the Emergency Money for the People Act was introduced, aiming to provide Americans 16 and older a $2,000 stimulus check each month for the next six months. It was introduced by Rep. Tim Ryan and Rep. Ro Khanna and has 17 other Democratic co-sponsors, per  Business Insider, including Rep. Barbara Lee.

“The economic impact of this virus is unprecedented for our country. As millions of Americans file for unemployment week over week, we have to work quickly to patch the dam – and that means putting cash in the hands of hard-working families,” Ryan said in a press release. “Many Ohioans are just receiving – or about to receive – the first cash payment we passed in the CARES Act. Now it’s time for Congress to get to work on the next step to provide relief for those who have been hardest hit in this pandemic.”

Currently, the CARES Act provides one-time cash payouts to qualifying Americans. That includes singles with an adjusted gross income up to $99,000 and couples up to $198,000 with payments being reduced by $5 for each $100 above the $75,000/$150,000 thresholds with restrictions on dependents over the age of 16. Under the Emergency Money for the People Act, all Americans over the age of 16 who make less than $130,000 and married couples making less than $260,000 would receive a stimulus check. It also extends payouts to those who were excluded from the CARES Act, such as college students and adults with disabilities who are still claimed as a dependent.

Singles earning less than $130,000 would receive at least $2,000 per month, with married couples receiving at least $4,000 per month. Qualifying families would receive $500 per child for up to three children. Deliverable via direct deposit, check, or mobile apps such as Venmo, the payments would be guaranteed for at least six months or continue longer until the employment to population ratio for people ages 16 and older is above 60 percent.

“A one-time, twelve hundred dollar check isn’t going to cut it,” Khanna said of the current stimulus plan. “Americans need sustained cash infusions for the duration of this crisis in order to come out on the other side alive, healthy, and ready to get back to work. Members on both sides of the aisle are finally coming together around the idea of sending money out to people. Rep. Ryan and I are urging leadership to include this bill in the fourth COVID relief package to truly support the American working class.”

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is making arrangements to financially support the team, employees and arena workers who won’t be able to work due to the NBA’s suspended season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cuban has not provided the specifics or his emergency plan, but he revealed during a press conference on Wednesday that he has “already started the process of having a program in place” to pay workers whose household income is dependent upon NBA game days.

“It’s stunning, but we are where we are,” Cuban said, according to ESPN. “We have to be smart in how we respond. This is people’s lives at stakes. This isn’t about basketball; this isn’t about the Mavericks. This isn’t about when do we start, do we start? Or how do we start? This is a pandemic, a global pandemic where people’s lives are at stake. I’m a lot more worried about my kids and my mom, who is 82 years old — in talking to her and telling her to stay in the house — than when we play in our next game.”
Cuban added that the Mavericks’ program might require employees to do “volunteer work.”

“I reached out … to find out what it would cost to financially support people who aren’t going to be able to come to work.”

Amid the Mavericks 113-97 win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, league officials learned that Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz had tested positive for COVID-19. The Jazz’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was subsequently postponed, and shortly after the NBA was suspending play until further notice.

During the Mavericks’ game on Wednesday, sideline cameras captured Cuban’s stunned reaction to the news that the NBA would not play games until further notice.