Hearst Magazines President Troy Young resigns after allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior

Hearst President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Swartz announced the departure in a brief note posted to Hearst's website.

"Troy Young and I have agreed that it is in the best interest of all of us that he resign his position as president of Hearst Magazines, effective immediately," Swartz wrote.

Hearst owns many of the world's prominent, female-focused magazines brands including Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan. Young joined Hearst in 2013 as president of digital and was promoted in 2018.

Young's resignation comes a day after a New York Times investigation exposed what it described as a toxic workplace culture at Hearst Magazines, including specific allegations of sexual harassment by Young. Among the allegations was that Young emailed pornography to Hearst editor Jay Fielden and that during a visit at Cosmopolitan's office, he picked up a sex toy, asked to keep it and made a crude joke about it.

Young told The Times ahead of publication that the "Specific allegations raised by my detractors are either untrue, greatly exaggerated or taken out of context. The pace of evolving our business and the strength of my commitment is ambitious, and I sincerely regret the toll it has taken on some in our organization."

But on Thursday, Young sent a lengthier note to his staff in which he apologized to his female colleagues.

"I recognize that the incidents cited in the NYT article are particularly offensive to women and I want to make clear they do not represent who I am as a person nor do they reflect some of the most important relationships in my life ... I am sorry and committed to the work I need to do here," Young wrote.

Young is the latest in a string of media executives who have resigned over the past few months in response to allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior. Last month, Bon Appétit editor in chief Adam Rapoport stepped down over accusations of bias and a discriminatory culture at the Condé Nast-owned food magazine. Two executives of Refinery29 — cofounder and editor in chief Christene Barberich and global president and chief content officer Amy Emmerich — resigned following claims of racism and toxic work culture.

Hearst did not immediately respond to a request for comment.