|
 Pascal is under pressure after her private emails were exposed by
hackers who attacked the computer network of the Hollywood movie
studio, a unit of Sony Corp <6758.T>.
In exchanges with producer Scott Rudin, Pascal guesses that Obama
might be a fan of "Django Unchained" or other films with black
actors or themes. The emails were published by Buzzfeed and Reuters
has not confirmed them.
In a statement on Thursday, Sharpton said Pascal's statements
reflected a "lack of diversity" in Hollywood. He said Sony needed to
take steps "to respect the African American community and reflect
that respect in their hiring and business practices."
Pascal and Sharpton had a "candid conversation" when she phoned him
to apologize on Thursday, said Sharpton's spokeswoman Jacky Johnson.
But Sharpton "made clear he has not accepted her apology," she said.
Sharpton is "inclined" to call for Pascal's resignation, "but has
agreed to hear her out in person" in New York before making a
decision, Johnson said.
A Sony spokeswoman had no comment.
Pascal, in a statement on Thursday, apologized and said her emails
were "insensitive and inappropriate." She told the Hollywood
Reporter she reached out to Sharpton and Reverend Jesse Jackson and
wanted to start "a healing process."
"I'm being proactive," she said. "And I want to accept
responsibility for these stupid, callous remarks."
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White House spokesman Josh Earnest, at his daily news briefing on
Friday, said "the decision that Ms. Pascal made to apologize was the
appropriate one."
Aaron Sorkin, who wrote Sony hit "The Social Network," defended
Pascal on Friday.
"Amy knows more than a lot of people what it's like to battle
stereotypes," Sorkin told The Hollywood Reporter. "She's a woman at
a large corporation who worked her way from assistant to the
chairman's office. No one in the world feels worse than she does
right now."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Additional reporting by Steve Holland
in Washington; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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