Miffed Man Calls J Lo’s Manager a ‘Tyrant’

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A disgruntled ex-employee of Jennifer Lopez's Nuyorican Productions claims in court that Lopez's "tyrant" of a manager harassed him and "decided to make his life miserable."

Former development executive Brian Schornak filed a breach of contract complaint against Nuyorican in May, claiming manager Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas drove him out of the company.

He filed a new complaint this week against Goldsmith-Thomas.

Both lawsuits are in Superior Court. Lopez is not a party to either of them.

Schornak sued only Nuyorican in May. The new lawsuit seeks damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress by Goldsmith-Thomas.

Schornak claims the producer and manager "has a long history in Hollywood of being a tyrant and mentally abusing the people around her in the industry."

Schornak claims that in March, Goldsmith-Thomas marched into his office and made the "not so subtle implication" that Schornak was stealing from the Lopez-created reality show, "South Beach Tow."

"'I'm confused about what you do,'" Goldsmith-Thomas told him, according to the complaint. "'I find it strange that you are the Nuyorican development executive, but also take a budget line on 'South Beach Tow.'"

Schornak says the "insinuation" was that he was "stealing," though the budget for "South Beach Tow" was "formally approved and papered and within the parameters of his contract."

Schornak agreed to Goldsmith-Thomas's demand that he send her a list of his "active projects," his 4-page complaint states.

"Elaine verbally abused plaintiff, as she has a reputation of doing in the industry," the lawsuit states. "Elaine called plaintiff shortly thereafter, berating him and describing the email as 'disgusting' and 'self-serving' and characterizing him as a credit-hog."

Adding insult to injury, Lopez's manager took over the executive's office and "moved his personal effects into the kitchen," Schornak says in the complaint.

It adds: "Elaine yelled and berated plaintiff in ways that no person (with human dignity) should be forced to endure."

Schornak seeks compensatory and punitive damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress, and costs.

His first lawsuit, against Nuyorican, sought damages for breach of contract, breach of faith and business code violations.

He is represented in both cases by Stephen Kernan of Beverly Hills.

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