The feud between MediaLink founder Michael Kassan and talent agency UTA has taken a legal turn, with Kassan filing a lawsuit against UTA’s lawyer Bryan Freedman for defamation. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that UTA has been trying to tarnish Kassan’s reputation in an effort to prevent employees and clients from following him to his next venture.
In response, Freedman stated that “facts are not defamation” and accused Kassan of making baseless claims to divert attention from his alleged fraudulent activities. Kassan’s lawyer, Sanford Michelman, called Freedman’s comments malicious and defamatory, stating that they were an attempt to block Kassan from competing.
The lawsuit comes after UTA withdrew some claims against Kassan last week, following a complaint filed in court instead of arbitration. Kassan’s complaint focuses on statements made by Freedman to Deadline, where he called Kassan a “pathological liar.” Kassan alleges that Freedman’s statements were malicious and intentional, made as part of a broader effort to punish him for resigning from MediaLink and choosing to compete.
The legal battle between Kassan and UTA revolves around whether Kassan must abide by a noncompete clause in his contract. In an arbitration action initiated by Kassan, he claimed that UTA fraudulently induced him to agree to a sale of MediaLink, only to backtrack on promises made regarding his role at the agency. UTA, in response, accused Kassan of using company money as a “personal slush fund.” The ongoing dispute highlights the high stakes and intense competition in the media industry.
