A fired talent agent has filed a lawsuit accusing Sam Gores, the CEO of Paradigm Talent Agency, of using corporate funds to pay for prostitutes. Among the proclamations was that Gores set up an undisclosed amount of interim financing to keep the agency afloat for the foreseeable future, set a $1.1 million fund to help those employees on temporary layoff and extended their health coverage through June. Umberto has been covering the fanboy beat & breaking scoops for 20 years with numerous Hollywood trade, newspaper, & magazine mentions to his credit. In that context, I am also pleased to announce that the ownership of Paradigm, which includes Tom and me, has retained Bruce Rosenblum as an adviser on growth and investment opportunities. In response, Kleins attorney, Bryan J. Freedman, said Thursday that he has witnesses whom he cannot identify, some of whom still work at the company, and added that Paradigm has no credibility. The deal is expected to close in Q2 2021, and the new companys name and configuration will be shared by Wasserman. on your behalf. Sam Gores To Paradigm Staff: $1.1M For Laid Off Employees In Place Along With New Interim Funding Line & No Salary For Gores Through 2021. . Here is the internal email sent by Gores this evening: I am committed to improving our flow of communication as we weather this uncertain time. We want to hear from you! Over the past weeks, we have been working to mitigate the effects of these temporary layoffs and Debbee Klein has taken this action not just for her own benefit, but on behalf of all those Paradigm employees in order to ensure that some measure of justice is done and Gores is made to pay for his iniquitous deeds, Freedman concludes with little to no ambiguity in an already pretty stark and haunted COVID-19 landscape. See Gores full announcement letter below. [11][12][13][14][15] Gores former executive assistant, referenced in the lawsuit, called the misconduct claims blatant lies.[16] In April 2020, Gores filed a counter lawsuit, denying all allegations of impropriety and characterized the accusations as self-aggrandizing and delusional. The case is headed to arbitration. Today, Tom, who is number 200 on the Forbes 400, is worth an estimated $3.9 billion. 331 S Brea Blvd Brea CA 92821 (281) 888-4103. Grammy-winning country music singer Joe Diffie died March 29 due to complications from the coronavirus. Klein filed the suit on April 1, alleging that she had been fired in breach of an oral agreement. Paradigm is already unique among most Hollywood agencies as an independently owned outfit run by CEO Sam Gores and supported by his wealthy financier-brother Tommy Gores. His company has been acquiring agencies, many of them in the music industry" by Claire Hoffman, Forbes: The World's Billionaires - Tom Gores, Palestinian Surprise: "TALENT AND LITERARY AGENT SAM GORES", "Board of Trustees | The American Academy of Dramatic Arts", "Coronavirus unemployment: Paradigm staff say they were misled - Los Angeles Times", "Paradigm Revolt: CEO Sam Gores Backs Down After Music Agents Object to 50% Pay Cut", "Paradigm Agent's Lawsuit May Be First of Many Coronavirus Breach of Contract Claims", "Paradigm Hit With Blistering $2M Breach Of Contract Suit By Debbee Klein; Sam Gores' Agency Says "False, Frivolous & Scurrilous" Update", "Company funds used for prostitutes, alleges ex-partner at Paradigm Talent Agency", "Former agent's allegations of company funds paying for prostitutes 'pure fabrication,' talent agency says", "Paradigm's Sam Gores Accused of Using Corporate Funds for Prostitutes", "Debbee Klein and Paradigm Agree to Settle Dispute in Arbitration", "Paradigm Responds To Debbee Klein's Suit: Sam Gores' Ex-Asst Calls Prostitutes Claims "Blatant Lies"; Agency Seeks Arbitration For Case", Americada: "Gores, King and White Join Academys Board", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sam_Gores&oldid=1128888634, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 December 2022, at 13:58. She also leveled a series of allegations at Gores, claiming that he used company funds to pay for prostitutes for himself and others. Sam Gores (born 1954) is the chairman of Paradigm Talent Agency in Beverly Hills, California[1] and has been ranked among the top agents in Hollywood. Michael Lewis for Variety Paradigm talent agency has secured a new investment from Crescent Drive Media, a company owned by the brother of agency chief Sam Gores, and has recruited industry. Paradigm also retains Warner Bros. vet Bruce Rosenblum as an adviser on growth and investment opportunities. Paradigm has won the Pollstar Award for Booking Agency of the Year four times, in 2016,[2] 2018,[3] 2019[4] and 2020. [4][5] In 1968, when Gores was 14,[6] his parents sold their home and possessions to purchase plane tickets to immigrate to the United States. Bruce also served as the Chairman and CEO of the Television Academy from January 2012 through December 2016. [9][10] One employee filed a lawsuit, alleging serious misconduct from Gores including payoffs, prostitution and criminal misconduct. The firm laid out $226 million to acquire 32 companies over the next five years, resulting in a profit of $940 million. Sam Gores' brother Tom Gores and his investment company Crescent Drive Media has taken an ownership stake in Paradigm, the agency's CEO Sam Gores announced in a letter to employees . The complaint alleges that Gores was privately in favor of the UTA deal, even signing a document agreeing to the merger subject to certain conditions. Gores partners vetoed the $250 million UTA deal, and the complaint says he lied to the public and Paradigms line agents, claiming he made the decision to call off the merger., Klein, a 23-year Paradigm veteran, also alleges that she had to repeatedly endure Gores repugnant and outdated sexism and demeaning treatment of women, including listening to his disgusting and lascivious comments about his sex life. The complaint also says Klein was passed over for promotion of less qualified male agents at her expense., The lawsuit said Klein had a binding oral employment contract under which she could only be terminated for good cause, meaning her job loss was in direct breach of the employment contract. The combination of Paradigm Talent Agency's Music Division, AM Only, and Coda Music Agency made Paradigm one of the top music agencies in the world, with clients including Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band, Ed Sheeran, Fun., Bon Iver, Janelle Mone, Jason Mraz, The Lumineers and Phish, among others. I like to move fast, and I like to work hard. Hespent 26 years at Warner Bros., including 14 years as President of Warner Bros. Television Group where he oversaw the entire Warner Bros. portfolio of television businesses, including worldwide production, traditional and digital distribution globally, and broadcasting. wages until business picks up again. View Cell Phone Number View Background Report. Wasserman is understood to be discussing a form of a partnership with the Gores brothers that would allow him to manage Paradigms music talent management and tour booking operations, which are considerable. Colin Powell, a former top military officer who rose to become the first Black Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, died on October 18, 2021 at age 84 of complications from COVID. [6] They settled near Flint, Michigan. Bob Iger Calls for Disneys Return to the Office But Will Hollywoods Remote Workers Listen? PARADIGM AGENCY. Because the lies in the lawsuit were reported in the media, it also had to involve public relations people to help interface with the media and its employees to ensure they were properly informed. Sam Gores declined to elaborate beyond the memo. They were promptly given new American names by their aunt, who picked them up at the airport: Alec, Sam, and Tom. Valour! Paradigm talent agency has secured a new investment from Crescent Drive Media, a company owned by the brother of agency chief Sam Gores, and has recruited industry veteran Bruce Rosenblum as an investment adviser. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. See a problem? PREVIOUSLY, 12:23 AMLess than two weeks after Sam Gores dropped the hammer on scores of agents at Paradigm in what were termed temporary layoffs allegedly due to the asphyxiating effect of the coronavirus crisis on the industry, Debbee Klein has hit back with a devastating breach of oral contract lawsuit for this reprehensible behavior.. He studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, and in 1977 he took a job at The Gage Group, a talent agency headed by well-known industry player Martin Gage. While all agencies have struggled during the pandemic, Paradigm has taken a greater hit due to its outsize reliance on the music business, which made up two-thirds of its revenue and featured top talents including Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Janelle Monae and others. Eight years later, he sold the company, which employed more than 200 people, for $2 million. The motion also states, in a footnote, that Paradigm will file an arbitration claim against Klein seeking several million dollars for violations of her non-disparagement and confidentiality agreements. If you have any questions regarding the structure that has been put in place to support agents and their team members who have been temporarily laid off, please contact your office leader or department head. Ill contact you again on or before Friday with more information about the Employee Relief Fund. our teams and help you maintain your books of business. Paradigm, struggling after a year without live concerts that generated the bulk of its revenues from its deep roster of music clients, had reached the end of the line for its music business, which left precious little to continue as a going operation. That reporter was from Forbes. He did it for the kids, to make sure we have a better future.. The information he had was his active agents had been approached who were covered by contracts, as opposed to those who had been temporarily laid off. [3], In 2005, Paradigm's entered the music industry when it acquired Monterey Peninsula Artists[1] and its roster of clients expanded to include The Black Eyed Peas, Aerosmith, Dave Matthews Band and Toby Keith. Tom, the youngest brother, started his career working for Alec at The Gores Group. With an expanded ownership team, financial stability and creative advisers like Bruce to help us assess new opportunities, I look forward to our next chapter. The problem with Klein is that she is an abusive, brazen, and repugnant person who routinely clashed with others at Paradigm, the motion states. Grammy-winning country singer K.T. He ended up not cutting people because of negative press on the firings, an insider told TheWrap at the time. This is one of several important steps that put us in a financial position not only to weather this crisis, but to invest in future growth, Gores wrote. Charles Gregory, an Emmy-nominated hairstylist who frequently collaborated with Tyler Perry on his films and TV shows, died of complications from COVID-19 on April 8. Advertisement. Sam Gores firing more than two hundred of his companys most loyal employees while taking away the full benefit of their health insurance during a world health crisis strains credulity, Bryan Freedman said in a statement Thursday. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. friends, and families as we confront one of the most urgent health and economic challenges of A merger between whats left of Paradigm and APA is the likely outcome, the top agent said. They claim this was a without-paperwork agreement in effect since the start of 2020, borne out by the formers altered take-home pay. Paradigm has secured interim financing that will provide a bridge through this global crisis. My father was willing to give up literally everything he had and pack his bags and bring us here, Alec told a reporter in 2016. He began working at his uncles grocery store the morning after they arrived, bagging groceries for 25 cents an hour. He was 78. Of specific note here especially under the looming and tragic shadow of the COVID-19 crisis Debbee Klein does not appear to have a force majeure clause in her most recent employment contract with Paradigm. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Paradigm has clung to its . "Knight Rider" and "Magnum P.I." Thus far, Gores Fredston has raised over $17 million to support initiatives for at-risk kids, and its a reasonable assumption that this figure will only grow over time. The complaint alleges that Gores was privately in favor of the UTA deal, even signing a "document agreeing to the merger subject to certain conditions." Gores' partners vetoed the $250 million. Trini Lopez, the singer of "If I Had a Hammer" and an actor in "The Dirty Dozen," died on Aug. 11 from COVID-19. Sam, who is a year younger than Alec, is chairman of the Paradigm Talent Agency, which represents top-tier talent including Laurence Fishburne, and handled the career of Philip Seymour Hoffman before the actors untimely passing in 2014. Tom Gores, chairman and CEO of investment firm Platinum Equity and owner of the Detroit Pistons, has a net worth estimated at $4.65 billion, per Bloomberg's Billionaires Index as of June 4.. In 1986, SGA acquired The Jack Fields Agency and changed its name to Gores/Fields. Alec, 15, was the oldest of the three. Soon, there were thousands of layoffs and furloughs at UTA, ICM Partners,APA,CAAandWME. [17], In January 2017, music agencies AM Only and The Windish Agency formally became known as Paradigm Talent Agency, after partnerships since 2012 and 2015, respectively. However, it wasnt a straight shot to success for the Gores boys, who have come to personify the archetypal American dream. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Last summer, Tom Gores and his investment company Crescent Drive Media also took an ownership stake in Paradigm. Debbee Klein also accused Gores of executing a. Because, as it turns out, the man formerly known as Eliasnow Alec Gores, founder and CEO of leveraged buyout firm The Gores Grouphas a net worth currently estimated at $2.1 billion. Movies. But with expenses and payroll in the millions of dollars, Gores last spring decided to temporarily lay off staff and make salary cuts. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. During the years 1992 and 1993 Gores forged pacts with STE Representations; Robinson, Weintraub, Gross & Associates, and Shorr, Stille & Associates to create Paradigm Talent Agency. Paradigms attorneys also denied Kleins allegation about the $500,000, saying such a small amount would have made no difference to the agencys lenders. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He was 69. It had taken five years to get a visa; sons Elias, Samir, and Tewfic spoke no English. Among the many other bombshells is an alleged and ultimately unsuccessful strong arming of Klein earlier this year. He announced his diagnosis just two days prior. More. EXCLUSIVE: UPDATE, 11:48 AM:It took almost half a day, but Paradigm Talent Agency has finally responded to the more than $2 million lawsuit that Debbee Klein launched like a cruise missile late last night at the Sam Gores-run company for being unceremoniously axed last month after over two decades in the trenches. The biggest player is Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which was founded in 1975 by Michael Ovitz and four others. MICHAEL GORES/SHAWN SCALLON. There are no discussions taking place between APA and Paradigm, according to an APA spokesperson. I have forgone my salary for the remainder of 2020, and beyond if necessary. Klein put together black-ish, its two spinoffs and much more over the years. He was 79. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. The information you have is wrong, a spokeman said. LOGIN, SPACs Have Already Topped 2020s Record Year, With $89 Billion Raised, Billie Eilish, Janelle Manae and Chris Martin of Coldplay (Photos: Getty Images), A merger between whats left of Paradigm and APA is the likely outcome, one top agent tells TheWrap. Allen Garfield, who appeared in such films as The Conversation, Nashville and Irreconcilable Differences, died April 7 due to coronavirus complications, according to his sister. Paradigm has been hit hard by the coronavirus shutdown, with two-thirds of its revenue coming from music, including the live events and concert tours that have all been postponed or canceled as a result of the virus, including some of the agencys biggest clients such as Billie Eilish and Kenny Chesney. They effectively held him hostage.. She claimed that Gores had recently fired his executive assistant, who confided in Klein about the prostitutes. Rosenblum spent 26 years at Warner Bros. including 14 as president of Warner Bros. Television Group. 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