The dispute intensifies as a Las Vegas gambler joins Paramount Skydance and Larry and David Ellison in his lawsuit against executive Jeff Schell for purported off-the-books PR services.
Last week, RJ Cipriani sued Paramount President Shell for $150 million for services rendered under the unwritten rules of crisis communication services. Shell hit back on Monday, accusing Mr. Cipriani of defamation, extortion and trying to use a fleeting relationship to extract unfair wages.
In his amended complaint Tuesday, Cipriani added Paramount, Ellisons, Redbird Capital and members of Paramount’s board of directors to the list of defendants, accusing them of failing to provide oversight over Shell.
“Paramount is aware of the frivolous lawsuit and believes the allegations are completely without merit,” a Paramount spokesperson said in a statement. “There is no factual or legal basis for any claims against Paramount, its directors or significant shareholders, and the company intends to vigorously defend these claims.”
Cipriani claims he helped Shell by providing strategic advice and organizing a Hollywood Reporter article about Shell’s dispute with “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. In the latter case, Cipriani claims that his intervention in the matter (which he disclosed to Shell after the article was published) saved Paramount $1.5 billion.
The original complaint also quotes Shell as saying in a meeting that Paramount Skydance was paying Warner Bros. too much money. The amended complaint adds further citations, saying Trump promised Larry Ellison he would intervene in the company’s deal with Netflix.
According to the complaint, Mr. Shell told Mr. Cipriani in detail the exchange, in which the president allegedly said, “Larry, it looks like Netflix is going to get Warner Bros., but if you really want it, Larry, I’ll make sure you get it.” (A representative for Oracle, where Larry Ellison is executive chairman and chief technology officer, declined to comment.)
Mr. Cipriani also accused Shell of disclosing nonpublic information to him about Paramount’s activities, a charge Shell denied.
