Producer Garth Drabinsky Sues Actors' Equity for $50M for Defamation

Attorneys representing producer Garth Drabinsky, represented by the Roth Law Firm, PLLC, filed suit today against Actors' Equity Association for defamation.

Earlier this year, Actors' Equity had placed the Paradise Square producer on the company's Do Not Work list due to "outstanding payments and benefits, and a continued pattern of abuse and neglect that created an unsafe and toxic work environment."

The move to put Drabinsky, who was imprisoned for 17 months in Canada after being convcited of fraud and forgery as a producer, on the Do Not Work list came after the production failed to pay the company their salary via weekly direct deposit.

The 57-page Complaint was filed in the Southern District of New York. The Complaint states that "Drabinsky has always produced with transparency and respect for all artists and those associated with his productions and his audiences."

Actors' Equity is being sued for an "intentional campaign of harassment and abuse, publishing numerous untruthful statements about Drabinsky that represented major misrepresentations of his character, history, activities, and beliefs."

Although the Complaint's legal claims are centered on Equity's "harassment and abuse" of Drabinky, the Complaint, which can be read in full here, makes other allegations against Equity. Amongst the other various allegations included in the Complaint is Equity's failure to intervene in a case of sexual harassment in the workplace. The lawsuit also alleges that Equity withheld the bond from the Chicago production and it was never returned, which added to the production's financial pressures and ordered an illegal work stoppage during the Broadway rehearsal process.

David Levy, Equity's Communications Director told BroadwayWorld in a statement, "The lawsuit filed against Equity is entirely without merit, and Equity is confident it will prevail in this lawsuit. Equity will vigorously contest the suit and demonstrate that our actions were fully consistent with our legal responsibilities to protect our members."

Paradise Square concluded its Broadway run on July 17 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, following 23 previews and 108 performances. Paradise Square was nominated for 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, with star Joaquina Kalukango receiving the Tony for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.

Between Broadway and earlier engagements at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, CA. in 2019, and at the James M. Nederlander Theatre in Chicago in 2021, Paradise Square played over 200 performances. A national tour is being planned for the 2023-2024 season, and international productions are also in development.