Garry Shandling Sues Ex-Manager for $100 Million

In a lawsuit with potential implications for the relationship between personal managers and their star entertainment clients, comedian Garry Shandling is seeking $100 million from his former manager, Brad Grey, for allegedly failing to protect the comic’s interests while furthering his own as a producer.

Shandling’s complaint, filed Thursday, alleges that Grey built his Brillstein-Grey Enterprises based on Shandling’s “reputation and ability to discover talent for Grey’s television production companies”--securing more than $200 million in deals with ABC, MCA and Columbia Pictures in which Shandling failed to share.

The comic also contends that Grey didn’t disclose his conflict of interest and discouraged Shandling from seeking independent representation, saying he “would take care of him.”

During a nearly 20-year relationship, Shandling and Grey collaborated on some of television’s most critically acclaimed series, “The Larry Sanders Show” and before that “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.” That relationship ended when Grey resigned as Shandling’s manager a few months ago, for reasons that remain in dispute by the parties.

Grey’s representatives and associates said the suit had no merit and accused Shandling of behaving irrationally, reacting--as one put it--like a “jilted lover” after Grey decided to stop representing him.

The suit alleges that Grey diverted talent from “Larry Sanders” to his company to create and produce programs such as the NBC comedy “NewsRadio,” from which Shandling did not benefit, and engaged in “systematic self-dealing to the detriment of Shandling.”

“It becomes a slippery slope . . . when you start to capitalize on someone whose financial future you’re responsible for,” said attorney Jonathan Schiller, who filed the suit on behalf of Shandling.

Brillstein-Grey has become a major producer of television programming, including such prime-time series as NBC’s “Just Shoot Me” and “The Naked Truth,” and ABC’s late-night program “Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher.” While building that operation--in part with $100 million in financing from ABC through a deal made four years ago--the company has also continued to represent talent.

That trend has spread to other management companies, such as 3 Arts Entertainment and More-Medavoy, often to the chagrin of Hollywood studios and talent agencies. Unlike agents, managers are entitled to serve as producers and in some instances can extract producer titles and fees--without providing such services--from networks eager to do business with their clients.

One manager acknowledged Thursday that producing often represents a conflict of interest, saying, “If you want to manage, manage. If you want to produce, produce.”

Grey’s attorney, Bert Fields, called the suit “sheer lunacy.” He said Shandling “didn’t have a damn thing to do with [building the company], other than producing his own show.”

Grey’s longtime partner, Bernie Brillstein, issued a statement calling Shandling’s claims “delusional.” Grey himself, through a spokesman, said, “I have the greatest respect for Garry Shandling’s creative talents. We shared many fruitful and rewarding years together. Obviously, I am saddened that the termination of our management relationship has resulted in this madness.”

Another Brillstein-Grey client, “Saturday Night Live” executive producer Lorne Michaels, disputed the notion that Shandling was responsible for bringing key talent to the company. Michaels said he was introduced to such performers as Dana Carvey and Dennis Miller by Grey, and “I don’t think any of those people came out of Shandling.”