LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — John Ferriter, the former Executive Vice President in charge of WMA's Reality Television shop has launched a lawsuit against the agency, alleging fraud, defamation, slander and wrongful termination and is seeking $25 million. Named in the suit are a number of luminaries at William Morris Endeavor, including Ari Emanuel and Richard Rosen.
Ferriter alleges in the lawsuit that after signing a 4-year contract with WMA in January, 2009, he was initially mislead about the possibility of a deal between WMA and Endeavor and then eventually presented with the merger as a done deal. Although Ferriter was the only WMA board member to vote against the merger, he claims that he was subsequently assured by Ari Emanuel and Rich Rosen that there would be no changes to his position as a result of his dissension.
Immediately after the merger, Ferriter fell ill and was hospitalized; when he eventually returned to work, he claims that he found he was no longer a member of the board and that he had been removed as the head of the Reality TV department. Ferriter further alleges that Richard Rosen and Mark Itken subsequently engaged in an "intentional and malicious course of conduct" and disinformation to separate Ferriter from his clients and to find a pretext to terminate him with cause, denying him from his contractually stipulated compensation.
Ferriter claims he was barred from attending meetings, speaking with employees and from entering the company's property and that at a unscripted television department town hall meeting on November 6th, department employees were told that Ferriter had been terminated for insubordination.
Ferriter is being represented by Neasham & Kramer in Gold River, Calif. At time of publication, WMEE did not respond to a request for comment. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
