The all-but-gone E! Networks CEO explains her sudden resignation to TV Week, but claims she didn't read the Times scoop that foretold her removal -- and insists she was not fired.

"It was categorically my decision to land the plane," she said. "I'm a builder. I come in and turn around or start new businesses. At a certain point I felt like I've done everything I wanted to do here."

The announcement came on the heels of a Los Angeles Times story that reported what insiders have been whispering for months: that Comcast was ousting Ms. Herman after conducting an internal audit of her expenditures and employee relations. Comcast did not return a call in time for this story.

The Times story detailed a litany of misbehavior that painted Ms. Herman as the Courtney Love of cable executives -- from brawling in parking lots to stealing other executives' complimentary goodie bags. Some sources said the audit was prompted by anonymous letters that employees sent to Comcast complaining about Ms. Herman.

Though Ms. Herman acknowledged that the Times story "tipped the apple cart" and was responsible for the timing of today's announcement, she claimed she did not read the story and therefore would not comment on its specific allegations.

"I honestly didn't read it," she said. "I didn't feel like it's the kind of journalism that I would have expected from the L.A. Times. From what I'm told, nothing was sourced. So it's a little hard to say what's what and who's who."

Ms. Herman reportedly accepted a $20 million buyout package for her departure, a figure she would not confirm or deny.

"I'm not going to comment on any of the economics of my deal," she said. "We have a multi-tiered compensation figure. I don't know where that number is from or what it's attached to."

* 12:30 p.m. update: Defamer has Herman's farewell email.

Yesterday: Never lie to the 'Queen of E!'