Hollywood Transom is part of your Ankler subscription. Written by Jeff Sneider, the column’s mission is to deliver brief scoops and news about this industry’s current state of play and its players.
1. The Charlotte Kirk Story’s Blast Radius, Again
Director Joshua Newton, the ex-boyfriend of actress Charlotte Kirk, has filed an explosive $300 million lawsuit against Ron Meyer and NBCUniversal. The suit white was filed more than two weeks ago in U.S. District Court, alleges breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent inducement and negligent misrepresentation.
The complaint reads something like a Coen Brothers farce, with NBCUni’s then-married vice chairman trying to ward off potentially devastating public revelations of his sexual relationship with Kirk by making what appear to be classic Hollywood empty promises to the benefit of the British filmmaker’s career, including help with a commercially risky scripted black-and-white film, Nicole and O.J., that, in its telling, vindicates O.J. Simpson.
According to the complaint, Meyer repeatedly used company resources in an effort to keep Kirk at bay. Meyer was served on Feb. 6; Universal on Jan. 31. Reps for NBCUniversal did not respond to request for comment. A spokesman for Meyer declined comment. Newton’s attorney, Diana Warshow, at Nesenoff & Miltenberg, said in a statement: “Our client has filed this action because two of his major film projects, one about O.J. Simpson and the other about the triumph of women over tyranny, have been severely damaged by the fraudulent conduct of Ron Meyer. As Mr. Newton’s complaint explains, this conduct occurred during Mr. Meyer’s employment as Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal Media. Significant evidence, including a lawfully recorded telephone conversation of Mr. Meyer’s misrepresentations and false promises, underlines that egregious conduct.”