London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Apr 23, 2026

Google's latest, explosive sex-abuse claims are yet another sign of a destructively permissive culture built up over years

Google's latest, explosive sex-abuse claims are yet another sign of a destructively permissive culture built up over years

Google's sex-abuse culture is once again under the spotlight after allegations from a former female employee that a powerful male senior executive abused his power to have multiple extramarital affairs with colleagues.

 Jennifer Blakely, a former Google legal manager, on Wednesday published an astonishing account on Medium of her time at the company and of her affair with Alphabet's chief legal officer, David Drummond.

She outlined how she and Drummond had a consensual relationship while he was married and had a child together, but she said that her life changed drastically after she was shifted out of the legal department, that she struggled with her new role, and that she decided to leave.

 Drummond, she alleged, abandoned the relationship suddenly, struck up an affair with another Google employee, and continued seeing his son "exclusively on his terms."

Drummond and Google did not immediately comment on Blakely's version of events.

The New York Times in October initially reported on some of Blakely's allegations against Drummond. Her story and those of others at Google sparked huge employee protests last year over the company's treatment of sexual-misconduct allegations. It forced CEO Sundar Pichai to reveal that 48 people had been fired from Google over such allegations.

 That Times story cast new light on Google's generally permissive culture around relationships, resulting in some lurid accounts of several male executives abusing their power.

Eric Schmidt, the former Google chairman, once kept a mistress as a company consultant, The Times said. The Android chief Andy Rubin reportedly received a $90 million payoff after he was accused of sexual misconduct. It was widely reported in 2014 that the Google cofounder Sergey Brin split from his wife and had an affair with a younger coworker. And Richard DeVaul, formerly a Google X director, offered a prospective employee a back rub during what she thought was a job interview, she told The Times. DeVaul subsequently resigned.

This begins to look like a pattern, not least because Google hasn't punished many of these high-profile men.

Schmidt didn't resign from Alphabet's board until May of this year — and there was no suggestion it was related to any of the accusations against him. Google invested in Rubin's subsequent company, Playground Global, after he left the firm. Drummond is one of the most senior and highest-paid executives at Alphabet, earning even more than Pichai. Brin has become more elusive at internal events but has spoken at all-hands meetings this summer and remains on the firm's board.

 A Twitter account for the Google protesters commented on Blakely's story: "This is a powerful first person account about the long term effects of #metoo and the systemic culture of treating people like objects at the highest levels of Google. This hurts all of us — of all genders and at all levels of the company."

Google did respond to last year's protests by overhauling its policies on sexual misconduct, ending forced arbitration, increasing training for executives, and improving reporting tools.

But the latest shocking claims from Blakely, the trickling departure of the Google Walkout organizers, new workplace-discussion rules that could prevent similar protests from bubbling up in the future, and the fact that women remain severely outnumbered in the highest echelons of the company — only two of its 10 board members are women — suggest cultural change has a long way to go.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Changi Airport: How Singapore Engineered the World’s Most Efficient Travel Experience
"Apple's Leadership Transition: Can New CEO John Ternus Navigate AI Challenges and Geopolitical Pressures?"
Italy’s €100K Tax Gambit: Europe’s Soft Power Tax Haven
News Roundup
Microsoft lost 2.5 millions users (French government) to Linux
Privacy Problems in Microsoft Windows OS
News roundup
Péter András Magyar and the Strategic Reset of Hungary
Hungary After the Landslide — A Strategic Reset in Europe
Meghan Markle Plans Exclusive Women-Focused Retreat During Australia Visit
Starmer and Trump Hold Strategic Talks on Securing Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Unofficial Australia Visit by Prince Harry and Meghan Expected to Stir Tensions with Royal Circles
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
UK Stocks Rise on Ceasefire Momentum and Renewed Focus on Diplomacy
UK to Hold Further Strategic Talks on Strait of Hormuz Security
Starmer Voices Frustration as Global Tensions Drive Up UK Energy Costs
UK Students Voice Concern Over Proposal for Automatic Military Draft Registration
Rising Volatility Drives Uncertainty in UK Fuel and Petrol Prices
UK Moves to Deploy ‘Skyhammer’ Anti-Drone System to Strengthen Airspace Defense
New Analysis Explores UK Budget Mechanics in ‘Behind the Blue’ Feature
Man Arrested After Four Die in Channel Crossing Tragedy
UK Tightens Immigration Framework with New Sponsor Rules and Fee Increases
UK Foreign Secretary Highlights Impact of Intensified Strikes in Lebanon
UK Urges Inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran Ceasefire Framework
UK Stocks Ease as Ceasefire Doubts in Middle East Weigh on Investor Confidence
UK Reassesses Cloud Strategy Amid Criticism Over Limited Support Measures
UK Calls for Full and Toll-Free Access Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Starmer Signals Strategic Shift for Britain Amid Escalating Iran-Linked Tensions
UK Issues Firm Warning to Russia Over Covert Underwater Military Activity
OpenAI Halts Stargate UK Project, Casting Uncertainty Over Britain’s AI Expansion Plans
Starmer Voices Frustration Over Global Pressures Driving UK Energy Costs Higher
UK Deploys Military Assets to Protect Undersea Cables From Suspected Russian Threat
Canada Aligns With US, UK and Australia as Europe Prepares Major Digital Border Overhaul
Meghan Markle’s Planned Australia Appearance Sparks Fresh Speculation
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
UK to Partner with Shipping Industry to Rebuild Confidence in Strait of Hormuz, Cooper Says
UK Interest Rate Expectations Ease Following US–Iran Ceasefire Agreement
Starmer Signals Major Effort Needed to Fully Reopen Strait of Hormuz During Gulf Visit
UK Fuel Prices Face Ongoing Volatility Amid Global Pressures and Domestic Factors
Kanye West’s Planned Italy Festival Appearance Draws Debate After UK Entry Ban
Smuggling Routes Shift Toward Belgium as Migrant Crossings to UK Evolve
Ceasefire Offers Potential Relief for UK Fuel and Food Prices Amid Ongoing Uncertainty
Iran Conflict Raises Questions Over UK’s Global Influence and Military Preparedness
Senator McConnell Visits Kentucky to Highlight Federal Investment in Local Projects
Kanye West Barred from Entering UK as Legal Grounds Come into Focus
UK Denies Visa to Kanye West After Sponsors Withdraw from Wireless Festival
Trump-Era Forest Service Restructuring Leads to Closure of UK Lab Focused on Kentucky Woodland Health
Foreign Students in the UK Describe Harsh Living Conditions and Financial Pressures
Reform UK Proposes Visa Restrictions on Nations Pursuing Reparations Claims
×