Now that actors left and right are being accused of sexual harassment, it’s time for Hollywood talent agents who have either sexually harassed clients or simply enabled other sexual harassers, to get theirs.
As The Hollywood Reporter details, agents have kept mum while they knew the score, whether harassment was perpetrated by Harvey Weinstein or others. One producer told THR, “The powerful agents knew about Harvey, but it was more important to maintain their relationship with him. Both sides had a mutual benefit to make it go away. That’s the real cover-up.”
Actress Rae Dawn Chong targeted CAA managing partner Kevin Huvane, alleging that when she told him about CAA client Steven Seagal’s sexual harassment of her, Huvane did nothing. She recalled that after she visited Seagal’s hotel for a 9:30 p.m. audition where he exposed himself to her, she called Huvane. She said
Kevin Huvane was my agent. Did I call him after and tell him what happened and say how violated and fucked up it was? Yes. And did CAA take the position of, “We’ll protect you”? No. It became, “Rae Dawn Chong’s difficult.” And it did impact my career. Obviously, I left CAA promptly, because it was like a pimp situation.
Huvane protested to THR: “Protecting clients has always been my top priority. I would never knowingly put a client at risk. What Ms. Chong describes having happened sounds horrible, and I have great sympathy for her.”
Meanwhile, Primary Wave co-founder David Guillod left the company after Ted co-star Jessica Barth claimed he drugged and assaulted her in 2012. THR adds, “APA agent Tyler Grasham was fired after sexual assault claims emerged. And on Nov. 3, WME’s Venit went on leave after being identified as the subject of Terry Crews’ account of sexual assault.”
