Universal Music Group paid its former high-flying record exec Charlie Walk $1.7 million to walk away in a 2018 amid sexual harassment and assault claims against him, according to newly unsealed court documents.
The settlement amount was revealed in a separate legal dispute in New York state court between Walk and the sharp-elbowed lawyer who got him the deal — Marc Kasowitz, best known for advising Donald Trump in the Russia investigation.
Walk, a former president of Republic Records who also was a judge on Fox’s reality TV music competition show “The Four,” has sued Kasowitz and his firm, Kasowitz Benson Torres for malpractice.
Walk claims they “pressured” him into taking a deal after he was accused of sexual misconduct by five female employees, and that the lawyer “botched” settlement negotiations — forcing a New York state judge to unseal the agreement.
Walk is seeking $60 million to account for lost compensation since his 2018 dismissal, according to Walk’s new attorneys at Schlam Stone & Dolan; Benson Torres and Freedman & Taitelman.
According to a motion to dismiss the suit filed by Kasowitz on Monday, Walk chose to resign from Universal and pursue a “voluntary” settlement, which turned out to be the $1.7 million lump sum that was equivalent to the exec’s salary and bonus for the year.
Kasowitz said Walk is merely bringing this “frivolous” lawsuit against his firm after “failing to resuscitate his career.” He added that the suit is a “publicity stunt” to “try to change Walk’s public image .”
“Attempts to bully and intimidate Charlie Walk will not stop him from finally having his day in court,” shot back Walk’s lawyer Bryan Freedman. “Everyone deserves due process and qualified representation — that’s what we’re fighting for.”
In a March 25 lawsuit, Walk alleged that, “As is all too often the case with celebrity lawyers, Kasowitz could not be bothered to actually represent his client … Kasowitz — who was hired to be Mr. Walk’s heroic defender — passively cooperated with UMG, leaving Mr. Walk defenseless.”
Kasowitz punched back in a recent letter to Walk’s legal team, calling the allegations “ludicrously false” and noting that three other attorneys also had been advising Walk during the “entire period” he was being advised by Kasowitz.
In its motion to dismiss, Kasowitz’s firm detailed the sexual misconduct claims. Chief among Walk’s accusers was Tristan Coopersmith, a woman who worked with Walk at Sony Music’s Columbia Records between 2004 and 2005, court papers said.
In 2018, Coopersmith posted an open letter on her health and wellness blog, Life Lab, alleging that Walk made “lewd comments” about her body and “shared his fantasies of having sex with her.” She said Walk sent her “vulgar” texts and invited her to dinners with his wife, during which he “whispered disgusting things into her ear and placed his hand on her thigh.”
Coopersmith also described an event at Walk’s home during which he cornered her in his bedroom and pushed her onto the bed while his wife was in the next room. Coopersmith claimed she negotiated an exit from the record company and was “paid to keep her mouth shut.”
The blog caused a media frenzy and pave the way for more accusations from former employees at both Sony and UMG-owned labels. This prompted UMG to conduct an independent investigation of the accusations, during which Walk hired Kasowitz.
UMG determined that it had cause to fire Walk, and informed Kasowitz that his client had the choice to resign or be fired for cause, which meant that he would receive no compensation, according to court papers. Walk claims he was steered to settle and that he wasn’t given other options such as taking the case to trial, which Kasowitz denies.