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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Producer Merv Adelson Says Time-Share Exec Threatened

LOS ANGELES (CN) - Veteran producer Merv Adelson has filed a $5 million lawsuit that claims a resort time-share executive threatened him and his family after a joint venture failed. "Either you die broke and I go after your heirs ... or you make peace old man," the complaint quotes from the exec's email.

The 78-year-old Adelson, who produced "The Waltons," "Dallas," and "An Officer and a Gentleman," claimed that Stephen Cloobeck, who controls a company called Diamond Resorts Entertainment, LLC, sent him the threatening email and later filed a meritless lawsuit.

The intimidation allegedly began after the failure of a joint venture called JammX Entertainment, LLC the was created to promote a children's dance group called JammX Kids. The venture created two television specials and DVDs and the group entered into deals with Warner Bros. and Wal-Mart, the suit said.

The company, however, ran out of money and both Adelson and Cloobeck lost their investments.

Diamond sued Adelson in 2007 for allegedly breaching the terms of their joint venture agreement. The suit was dismissed last November.

"Cloobeck knew his action never had any merit," Adelson's suit said. "After his threats failed to coerce a result, he abandoned it."

The complaint says that Adelson has suffered mental anguish and distress, "fearing for his own well-being and his family's well-being," and that he has headaches and insomnia.

The complaint was filed by Louis R. Miller of Miller Barondess.

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