HBO boss Casey Bloys says forcing staffers to write mean tweets to TV critics ... trends now

HBO CEO Casey Bloys apologized to TV critics after revelations surfaced he forced staffers to create fake accounts and write mean posts, saying it was a 'very dumb idea.'

As part of a wrongful termination and harassment lawsuit filed by former HBO staffer Sully Temori, it was alleged the CEO was commanding a 'secret army' to push back against critics.

'I came up with a very, very dumb idea to vent my frustration,' Bloys said at an HBO and Max programming slate, reported Variety.

'I do apologize to the people who were mentioned in the leaked email, texts. Obviously, nobody wants to be part of a story that they had nothing to do with.' 

Temori claims HBO's senior vice president of drama programming, Kathleen McCaffrey directed him on behalf of Bloys to create fake online accounts to respond to critics on social media and other publications' articles.

The revelation are part of the lawsuit, but not yet public, and first reported by Rolling Stone.  

'For those of you who know me, you know that I am a programming executive, very, very passionate about the shows that we decided to do, and the people who do them and the people who work on them, I want the shows to be great,' Bloys said.

'So when you think of that mindset, and then think of 2020 and 2021. I'm home working from home, spending an unhealthy amount of time scrolling through Twitter.' 

The New York Times’ James Poniewozik and Mike Hale and The Rolling Stones’ Alan Sepinwall were targets of the online attacks.

In one instance when the show The Nevers premiered in April 2021, Sepinwall gave it a two-and-a-half star rating.

McCaffrey soon texted Temori and said: 'Casey is looking for a tweeter … he’s mad at Alan Sepinwall.'

'Can our secret

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