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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
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‘Criminal Minds’ Actor Sued for Commissions

LOS ANGELES (CN) - "Criminal Minds" actor Thomas Gibson dumped his longtime manager without paying him commissions, the manager claims in court.

Frontline Entertainment Management and its principal Craig Dorfman sued Thomas Gibson for breach of contract, accounting and five other counts in Superior Court on Wednesday. In his lawsuit, he claims he represented Gibson for 18 years, first as his talent agent and then as his manager, shepherding the actor's career as he took roles in the television shows "Chicago Hope," "Dharma and Greg" and CBS' "Criminal Minds."

In the state court filing, Dorfman says he was the "only constant in Gibson's life and career," during which time Gibson allegedly "burned through no less than five different publicists, three business managers, and three talent agencies."

"Dorfman's management company Frontline has literally been on the frontlines, rescuing Gibson's career from professional crises of Gibson's own making," the 13-page lawsuit states.

Dorfman claims he put out fires while representing Gibson after the actor angered executives and producers, and failed to show up for press tours and events.

But Dorfman wasn't limited to handling the actor's professional life, his complaint claims. He says that he was forced to serve "on the frontlines of Gibson's personal life."

According to Dorfman he picked up the actor from jail after he was arrested for drunk driving, and advised him after he was "caught in a very public 'cat fishing' incident, - i.e. sending lewd videos and messages to a stranger he met online."

"Dorfman repeatedly mediated hostile situations after Gibson verbally sparred with drivers, waiters, hotel staff, and studio publicists," the complaint adds.

Though Dorfman was the actor's "faithful manager and friend for years" the manager claims that earlier this year Gibson told Dorfman that he wanted to cut his commissions from 10 percent to 7.5 percent. The pair parted ways after Dorfman refused, he says.

"Although Gibson paid commissions to plaintiffs for years, he has suddenly breached his agreement with plaintiffs and stopped making payments. Gibson, who makes $200,000 per episode on the television series Criminal Minds - and more than $4.8 million per year - has thumbed his nose at his obligation to pay plaintiffs," the complaint states.

Dorfman seeks damages and costs and is represented by Bryan Freedman of Freedman + Taitelman.

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