Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice will formally leave her post on the Netflix board next month to join Joe Biden’s administration, with Netflix chairman and co-CEO Reed Hastings thanking Rice for her “service.”
“We are grateful to Susan Rice for her many contributions on our board and congratulate her on her return to public service,” Hastings said following reports of Biden selecting Rice to head the Domestic Policy Council.
Rice, who joined the Netflix board in 2018, will be leaving January 20, according to Deadline.
The former Obama administration official sparked suspicions in August after selling a sizeable portion of her Netflix shares as Biden continued his search for a running mate, though he ultimately chose Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA). However, a representative at the time claimed that Rice’s move had “nothing to do” with Biden or his campaign.
“Ambassador Rice’s sale of a fraction of her Netflix stock has nothing to do with V.P. speculation,” Rice spokesperson Erin Pelton said in a statement. “She filed a stock plan pursuant to SEC regulations over three months ago.”
“She will coordinate the formulation and implementation of President-elect Biden’s domestic policy agenda to build back better,” Biden’s team stated, describing Rice as a “deeply experienced, talented negotiator.”
In a statement, the former vice president said his selection of Rice is aimed to bring “the highest level of experience, compassion, and integrity” to his administration.
Rice, as well as the Obamas, were among those who remained relatively silent in the thick of the controversy over Netflix’s Cuties, a French drama critics say is rife with the sexualization of pre-pubescent children.