Julianna Margulies To Face Ex-Managers In Court
Julianna Margulies is pretty comfortable in a court room thanks to her show The Good Wife but that doesn’t mean that she’s looking forward to her next case. The actress is being sued by her former managers and will soon meet them in court.
According to ABC, D/F Management filed the lawsuit back in July claiming that Margulies owes the firm more than $400,000 in unpaid commissions. The agency is also asking for 10% of Margulies earnings now that the show has been put into syndication.
Steve Dontanville and Frank Frattaroli of D/F claim that they got Julianna Marguilies her role on The Good Wife and also got her a deal with L’Oreal Paris.
The lawsuit reads: “Dontanville carefully helped take Margulies from a promising young newcomer to an internationally renowned television star who earned millions of dollars from her work on the television show ER and other projects…. Based in part on D/F Management’s tireless counsel and guidance, Margulies agreed to star in the then-forthcoming television series project The Good Wife.”
Seattle PI reports that a judge recently denied Margulies request to have the issue settled with a summary judgement. The actress will now face her former managers in court at the beginning of 2014.
The lawsuit seems to come down to common “customs and practices” among actors and management agencies. Marguilies reportedly left D/F on April 29, 2011, and her former managers expected the actress to keep making payments on all of the deals that were secured with their help. Marguilies attorney argues that the actress didn’t make any oral or written promises.
Margulies’ attorney, Sheldon Eisenberg, said: “They admit that Ms. Margulies never promised them orally or in writing to make such payments.”
D/F’s attorney, Matthew Rosengart, disagrees. Rosengart said: “All actors, especially experienced actors, understand the obligation to pay their managers post-termination commissions. That is the standard. It is routine. It is universal.”
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