The correspondence made clear that Attia maintained a relationship with Epstein long after the financier faced sex trafficking and prostitution charges. “I go into JE withdrawal when I don’t see him.,” reads a line from Attia to Lesley Groff, who was an Epstein assistant. The remark, found in a January 2016 email, spurred negative reaction on social media.

News of his exit surfaced as Paramount Skydance is expected to make a new offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, and is the latest in a series of talent tangles the company has faced in recent days.