TV Producer Says Agent Did Him Wrong

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A former "Big Brother" producer claims his agent at United Talent Agency cost him millions of dollars and harmed his career by persuading him to reject another year of work at "Big Brother" and go to work for a start-up run by a woman with whom the agent was having an affair.

Scott Einziger sued United Talent Agency and Michael Camacho in Superior Court. Einziger claims that his "reputation and future opportunities to become a showrunner with CBS and other broadcast networks have been seriously damaged," because he did what Camacho told him to do and rejected CBS's offer.

Einziger claims the bum advice cost him "millions of dollars in compensation, career momentum and reputation because he followed defendants' advice without knowing Camacho's true motivation and conflicts of interest."

Einziger says that in February 2010, CBS made him an offer to return as an executive producer on Season 12 of "Big Brother." He says that accepting would have increased his chance of becoming a "showrunner" on "Big Brother" or another CBS show.

But Einziger says Camacho persuaded him "to pursue a potential opportunity with a new production company being formed under the RelativityReal banner, which would be operated by an individual named Ellen Rakieten."

Einziger says Camacho and United Talent Agency "stood to obtain lucrative fees from projects developed under the auspices of RelativityReal that came to fruition," that Camacho and Rakieten were romantically involved, "despite the fact that both Camacho and Rakieten were married to others."

Einziger says he turned down the CBS offer, and began a 6-month stint as a producer for Ellen Rakieten Entertainment. Rakieten is not a party to this complaint.

During his 6 months with Rakieten, Einziger says, Camacho would call him to "check in" and "inquire during the conversation whether Ellen had said anything about him."

Einziger says he confronted Camacho about his relationship with Rakieten, and that Camacho denied it, only to later admit that he was "in love" with Rakieten. Einziger says Camacho went so far as to sell his home and move his family into an apartment "so that he could be 'portable and liquid' in the event that he could convince Ms. Rakieten to leave her family so they could be together."

Toward the end of his job with Rakieten, Einziger says, she spilled the beans: "Rakieten disclosed to plaintiff that it had always been Camacho's plan to convince Ellen Rakieten after getting ERE up and running with funds from RelativityReal not to continue her contractual relationship as a production company under the RelativityReal banner, and instead to establish a self-funded production company that Camacho and [Joe] LaBracio would operate with Rakieten. This intention was never previously disclosed to plaintiff."

LaBracio helped Camacho represent Einziger at United Talent, according to the complaint. LaBracio is not named as a defendant.

Einziger says he quit working for Rakieten after his 6 months were up, and Camacho immediately terminated his representation by text message.

Einziger says he has been unemployed since then, and "has found no employment whatsoever suitable to his knowledge and experience in the entertainment industry."

Einziger claims Camacho and United Talent Agency "sought to line their own pockets and further their own personal relationships and careers notwithstanding the fallout on plaintiff" by steering Einziger "toward a less lucrative employment opportunity that damaged plaintiff's career path because it benefitted defendant Michael Camacho's future business opportunities and secret affair with a married woman."

Einziger seeks $10 million in damages for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and breach of contract. He is represented by Paul Sorrell with Lavely & Singer.

Follow @jamierossCNS

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