Claire Robinson, Model And Actress, Sues ICM For Sexual Battery

LOS ANGELES — A former beauty queen has sued International Creative Management, claiming the firm and one of its top talent agents subjected her to unwanted sexual advances.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Claire Robinson alleges ICM and agent Jack Gilardi exploited the former Miss British Columbia and that she was sent to auditions for roles that didn't exist or weren't available to her. She alleges that one of Gilardi's friends, John Rockwell, introduced her to the agent and in 2008 threatened and raped her.

The talent agency denies Robinson's allegations. A phone message left Tuesday for Rockwell, who isn't affiliated with ICM, wasn't returned.

"ICM denies any and all wrongdoing," said Michelle Suess, an agency spokeswoman. "Ms. Robinson's allegations are completely baseless and ICM will vigorously defend this action."

The class-action lawsuit also seeks to end a practice it calls "hip pocketing," in which an agent claims they will represent a person but never actually takes them as a client. The lawsuit claims the practice at ICM led to the sexual exploitation of Robinson and others who were sent on fake auditions.

Robinson's suit also claims that Gilardi inappropriately touched her while en route in an ICM limousine to a stuntmen awards show in 2007.

The lawsuit seeks millions in damages and a judge's order to end "hip pocketing" at ICM, which the suit claims has been going on for years.

ICM represents some of the entertainment industry's biggest names, including Chris Rock and Beyonce Knowles. Gilardi, who was married to actress Annette Funicello, has represented actors such as James Caan, Charlton Heston and Burt Reynolds.

Attorneys for Robinson, 23, say they're hoping to find women who may have received similar treatment within the past four years. Robinson's suit claims her career was irreparably damaged by ICM and Rockwell's alleged actions and that she suffered a nervous breakdown as a result.

Besides fraud, negligent supervision and a sexual battery claim against Rockwell, the suit seeks civil damages against ICM under a legal procedure often reserved for the mob or gangs.

The suit wants to designate the talent agency under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, also known as RICO. If a judge allows that claim, Robinson's attorneys, Perry Wander and Mitch Kalcheim, say they intend to seek triple the amount of Robinson's actual damages. They're also seeking 10 percent of ICM's gross earnings for one year as punitive damages if Robinson's lawsuit succeeds.

Comments

[rodeman]

Isn't this basically a he said/she said case. I believe the young lady, but it's a tough case to persue.

Hasn't the casting couch syndrome gone on since the silent films....?

[Malkin71]

This is simple. Either she filed a police report back in 2008 because she was raped or she is a golddigger who gives women a bad name.

How many men are sitting in jail right now...not because she said no but because she decided after the fact that she was not adequately compensated?

[ndem]

this lawsuit does not surprise me at all. what do people think goes on at these agencies with these young women? it has been going on forever with the studios and actresses etc etc. just now in cannes agents were doing things like this...being out of order...it is good that someone is saying "stop" and it is ONLY by getting a HUGE amount from the agency in a lawsuit that they may begin to stop. I just hope she has good security.

[Malkin71]

So she was ok with putting out for the guy as long as she thought she was going to get a part?

But now that she didn't get any parts....now it's rape?

Yeah, ok....

[lil11]

It is a pity to have to have sex with someone in order to get work. This is crazy as there doesn't seem to be anyway to enforce a promise to be given work even if you did have sex with them. Do you even dare even take a chance with them without a contract? Because if someone is corrupt enough to hold back a job from you for sex, how can you possibly trust them to come through with the job after you have sex with them? This whole thing sounds so sordid and idiotic and seems so stupid on the part of the people in power. Why don't they just go to a prostitute/call girl, someone who is in the business of having sex?

[blondecuban]

I work in this industry and know ICM. Agencies hip pocket people when they aren't sure about whether they want to commit to repping them. It's a win-win situation. Someone who might not have gotten repped otherwise gets a probation period, and the agency doesn't have to commit until it knows its time is well invested. I have a hard time believing that ICM sent her to auditions for non-existent castings. ICM is very reputable, so if the castings were non-existent, then it's because the people holding the castings were frauds. That she didn't book jobs only means that they didn't want to hire her. ICM's only responsibility was to get you the audition -- she was responsible for booking the job. What this woman has done with this action is to guarantee that no one will ever represent her or hire her in the industry. As for the rape, I wouldn't believe it unless she filed a police report because it seems to me like she's after the payday.

[Checquoline]

Why is it so hard for some to believe that an old letcher would not take advantage of a vulnerable young girl who just wants a career? It has been happening for years and not just in Hollywood.

[Bushisgone]

I say she is lying

[Checquoline]

Oh please..............

[bartonfink]

having been involved with a former ford model, whose eldest daughter also modeled but with elite, I can vouch for jane gallagher and anyone else calling out this "industry," which is actually a thinly veiled predator's buffet. most girls are mid-teens when they break in, and if they are picked up by a major agency, it exposes them and their families to a kind of moral vacuum that belies all the pretty smiles. under aged models are often required to stay with other girls during shoots with minimal adult supervision, are frequently photographed in revealing clothing for the purpose of putting together their book, and NO ONE questions the obvious grey area this puts the models and their parents. any complaints? there's the door. there's no shortage of girls enrapt by the idea of becoming a famous model, though almost none of them do

lots of stories on the interwebs detailing legal actions against major players in the modeling industry. just about every one of them involves exploitation for the purpose of sex. look it up

[grahamsdad]

Whenever someone is either too lazy, too stupid, or too 'cool' to begin a new sentence with a capital letter, their whole point actually becomes, well, pointless.

[falco]

tough criteria. so no one has credibility cuz they don't use capital letters where they should. no matter what they say, u b a lazy ignoramous if you don't spell or punkuate correctly. pfft! the fact of the matter be, you don't go far in hollywood as a woman without spreadin them there legs. i wish every actress that has had to do this would come forward.

[bartonfink]

hmmm, for me, pointlessness is reflected a person's inability to see the world beyond petty dogmas. I'm not trying to be cool, how asinine would not capitalizing letters be as a statement of "cool?" whatever that is. nor am I particularly lazy, no way to prove that, so I guess you'll have to take it on faith (a 2oo+ word post is not a good indicator of laziness, is it?), and I'm not stupid- at least I don't think I am... anyway, we're all posting quick responses on a message board here, so perhaps strict adherence to grammatical and syntactical regulations isn't the point. maybe it's about ideas and simplified communication. you can read words independent of punctuation, can't you? and understand their meaning?

diminishing assumptions, now there's pointless for you

[crayola 08]

ooh, where can i get one a them sexual batteries?

[sjones66]

Of courses this is most likely true. Most of the men in Hollywood are scums -- I used to work there, and I saw this stuff go on constantly. They threaten the girl that if she speaks out she'll be blackblalled for life, so it never gets reported. I hope she wins in a way that hurts the agency badly enough to make all of the predatory creepy losers running Hollywood STOP and think next time.

Go girl!

[JailNeoconVicts]

I also have worked in Hollywood for twenty years. I have seen boorish advances and sexism, but it is simply wrong to say it goes on constantly. It doesn't. You have no idea if this woman is right, or has a grudge, or is octo-mom insane.

[kathy001]

"octo-mom insane" LOL!! Love it!!!

[fluentinsilence]

It's silly for people to immediately support this girl without evidence of anything having been done. All we have is an allegation and nothing more. Let's keep in mind that this could also be a little girl's attempt at extorting money from an agency; perhaps she felt she wasn't offered a fair deal in a contractual situation or didn't agree with the agencies operational practice, so she conjures up a claim that is difficult to refute.

Am I defending the things done by what this girl claims? Absolutely not, but I don't think people should be so quick to judge the agency and defend her without proof.

[kaaramel]

We will never be able to prove it. We will never see the evidence for ourselves. As for me, I'm on her side.

[jane gallagher]

As a person with strong ties to a large talent agency I can tell you firsthand that the exploitation of young women and young gay men is so rampant that I do not believe a single attractive woman/gay man working for or being represented by a talent agency hasn't been taken advantage of on some level. Most assistants are minimum wage voluntary sex slaves and most non-legacy clients are given the unspoken promise of fame and fortune for sexual favors.

Yes, yes, innocent until proven guilty but there is ZERO incentive for a person in this situation to fake these claims. Even if proven true, making sexual harassment claims get you on a blacklist for life. She is kissing her career goodbye because sadly most powerful men in this business want to take advantage of young talent. False or true, she is demonstrating that she will speak out against this and so no one is going to work with her.

If she was unhappy with her deal or wanted more money accusing a top tier talent agency with the best attorneys in the world to discredit her while dually guaranteeing she will not get real work with any other agency, is the last logical choice.

Sexual exploitation is a silent epidemic in the entertainment industry. I hope that more young women speak out against their abusers and I hope people unaffiliated with this industry such as yourself become aware of the realities of this pervasive issue.

[BikeFreak]

I don't have any dealings with the business or Hollywood, but I believe you.

Seems like this country is so into celebrity for celebrity sake that some people will do, and put up with, a lot to try to reach those dreams of one day being a star.

Very sad.

[Dimitra Ekmektsis]

I hope she gets what she wants!!!!!! Go Claire Robinson. I'm reposting this...

[Dimitra Ekmektsis]

Good for her. I'm rooting for her. This is long overdue, isn't it? Are the courts ready for it, that's the question!

[ALotToSay]

im an actor in la and all i can say is i have a lot of close girlfriends that get creeped on all the time. im surprised this doesn't happen more often.. i mean it does.. it just doesn't get reported. if its true, good for her.. if its not then thats f'd.. its that simple..

[lil11]

If what she is saying is true, why do people want to F@#$ someone so badly they have to resort to this sort of stuff?. It seems like they should be able to get a girlfriend or wife who is hot and that turns them on and then this sort of thing wouldn't have to happen.

Also, is this one of those things where the statement: "You'll never work in this town again" applies?

[Ohsherri]

Just because you have a hot wife or girlfriend, it doesn't stop someone

from being a p/g.

When you are a p/g....it's NEVER ENOUGH!

[ChelseaC]

Sexual assault/battery/rape is about control and violence not about having sex.

Victims of sex crimes--I hope they get justice.

[lilkunta]

phsherri: THen go to a prostitute. They're willing to have sex.

[jbeach]

All about power, IMHO.

[BikeFreak]

It isn't about getting a "hot" girl, it's about power over people.

[Nebris]

You're one of ICM's D-Bag lawyers, right?