HOLLYWOOD—Former Disney CFO Richard Nanula, who has chaired Miramax since March 2012, has taken a leave of absence "for personal reasons" from the latter studio and parent investment group Colony Capital following the surfacing about two weeks ago of photos appearing to depict him engaging in sex with Wicked Pictures contract star and 2014 AVN Awards co-host Samantha Saint, as taken from the official website of 2013 AVN Best New Starlet nominee Trinity St. Clair.
Entertainment trade outlets Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, as well as the Los Angeles Times, all reported Wednesday about Nanula's indefinite leave, though none were able to pin it directly to the leaked photos, which originally appeared on gossip site TheDirty.com. The site has since removed the photos. Variety did attribute "two knowledgeable individuals" as saying that "the photos may have contributed to Nanula's exit."
Nanula became a partner in Colony Capital in 2008 and led that company's joint acquisition of Miramax from Disney with two other investors in 2010. He has overseen Miramax since the departure of CEO Mike Lang in 2012.
As of post time, neither St. Clair nor a representative for Wicked Pictures could be reached for comment.
