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UPDATE: Some agents have been given “the nod” that they are safe. Some people have been told nothing. I hear that, during this waiting period for state and federal approvals, no one can be fired officially.
I’m hearing much of the TV reality department led by Mark Itkin have decided to stay together and leave en masse to CAA. This apparently includes John Ferriter and Colin Reno.
Insiders tell me most of the TV lit department — but not Cori Wellins and Lauren Whitney – is out.
Talent agent Dana Sims was just escorted out of WMA today. I hear she asked to be relieved from her contract. Her TV and movie clients include 50 Cent, Ludacris, Common, Nelly, Ciara, Rihanna, Jill Scott, Nas, Young Jeezy, Fabolous, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, Keyshia Cole, Keri Hilson. (Obviously, these are repped by the music department, too.) An insider tells me, “Dana Sims was just announced that today was her last day. This has been the worst kept secret in the agency, as we all knew that she has been trying to break her contract for months now.”
(This is breaking news so I’ll clarify as the situation warrants…)
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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TV lit- Losing a couple good ones it seems. But definitely, keeping Cori Wellins and Lauren Whitney — smart move. They are the future.
Those might be Cara’s clients but she books their tours not their movies. Cara might not be the best boss but ride their elevator with her and she’s fine. If you want to live in the world where your top earners celebrate thuggish lifestyle you better be a gangsta when it comes to their money. Cara is a gangsta the same way Rosen and Walsh are. But that’s WMA (sorry WME) music. What about the other WM parts?
Theater?
Consulting?
The London office?
I haven’t heard about those elements in this merge. Anyone know what’s going on there?
Reporting from inside the battle zone. Some agents are getting calls from Endeavor saying they are safe causing huge problems among the troops that have not heard from Endeavor. Dave was asked in a meeting today why Endeavor is saying they are staying together and we will run mopic. When asked why he’s not fighting for WMA agents he pussy footed around. Agents are telling clients to hold off doing deals. Clients are agreeing and staying loyal to the agents. No leadership what so ever in the hallow hallways of WMA. Fogelman, DZW, JW where are you boys??? Counting your money. Endeavor boys be careful you are about to take over a sinking ship thats losing its big paying customers.
Reporting from inside….
Ari how quickly will you push Dave completely out of the company. We know Dave is just a music agent now with wild hair and bad shirts and pants. Rick you need to stop calling agents at WMA and telling them that all will be good. Not sure the goverment would like that until this deal is approved. Jimbo is GM leaving as a client??? I bet they will. Not sure President Obama will like that GM is paying big bucks to Rhams brothers company. Talent Department at WMA, big actor getting ready to bolt. Get ready he’s going going almost gone..London and Miami good luck
Food for thought..someone wrote earlier that cara lewis was one of the highest paying agents at wma (prob true in that daily, she’s brokering seven figure deals in her sleep). What makes you think that the clients would stay at wma due to the person (dana) who’s not putting half as much money in their pockets? Cara Lewis gets a bad rep by people who have never really gotten a chance to know her. She really has a good heart. She has worked her ass of over the decades and she’s built an empire. She’s accomplished a lot and you all need to respect that. STOP HATING!
Cara Lewis is an evil, horrible bitch. Dana Sims kept Cara Lewis in business. No one wants to deal with Cara Lewis. I just don’t know what career advantage there was for Dana to speak to Satan all day long, when the entire agency was rooting for Cara Lewis to fail. The list of agents at WMA that Cara has fucked is long and storied.
If I had to wager on Dana Sims or Cara Lewis in the court of public opinion, my money is on Dana.
Let’s hope the TV reality department picks up and moves en masse to Creative Artists. The fact that Itkin was not given a board seat and Fogelmen was is ridiculous in itself. Itkin pulls in $$$$ for WMA. He and John Ferriter are blocks in that dept.
nikki i love you. but the comments on your board are getting way too mean spirited. it’s sad. and people are taking pot shots at agents and people in a way that is plain mean. the internet has open the gates for people to dish and the people they dish about to have to just take it. sad.
Cara Lewis has so much bad karma out there in the world that it stretches from WMA in NY to the Beverly Hills office. WMA should have just announced that its open season on Cara Lewis because her last ally at WMA just headed for the hills to save herself.
Cara Lewis is a tough woman, but what agent isn’t??? Dana Sims has forged many relationships with the music / feature list that no one within WMA managed to maintain. This is really not a surprising move – her wanting to depart the agency has been talked about w/in wma for weeks, if not months. Lewis and Sims each have fans.
Gee first no BLACK LEAD characters in a television series, now the music/rapper agent leaves to start her own agency. Let’s start a new TV channel a real BLACK ENTERTAINMENT VENUE with in- house agents whose salaries increase as they put their clients on TV shows that don’t have a BBF. Then, maybe then there will be a black lead show, more girlfriends, a 60′s black hospital show and of course, more black comedies that aren’t Step-in in the FETCH IT (TP TIME) You go girl, keep walking up the money mountain Dana Sims and take Pink with you. Pray for us Kirk Franklin (A DS client) for God takes care of those the world pushes around and those seeking a yellow brick road may file for bankruptcy as they merge to survive
It will be interesting to see the response of state and federal authorities to this merger and if it will be approved.
Speaking as a lawyer, ) I would say there is zero chance this merger doesn’t get approved by state and federal authorities. In the grand scheme of things we’re talking about two tiny companies – combined revenues of 300 million is a pittance compared to behemoths like Time Warner AOL, Chrysler, whatever. And the move doesn’t much affect the primary constituency those authorities are concerned about – namely the general public, Main street. The only people affected by this are Hollywood types and not even that many of those. Joe and Jane Public out there in the world don’t know about this and couldn’t care less. It doesn’t affect the competitive environment a bit. So I’d say it’s a rubberstamp.
@question — The biz Cara excels in is not the biz that is threatened by Sims leaving. You should be asking which clients who want to cross over out of music would stay at WME when Dana is across town? I don’t know how many music managers you know, but Dana is the hottest chick in the game right now and they know it. If you rep a rapper and that rapper wants to be like Luda or 50 or Nelly or [insert star here] they are all eyes on Ms. Sims. And that’s real.
It really does not matter if you like Cara Lewis or you like Dana Sims. Or, who claims ownership of those clients. The fact that they will be on the opposite sides of the aisle will change the game.
I can’t figure out yet if WMA was too stupid or arrogant to believe Sims didn’t matter in this landscape or if she just saw the implosion at WMA/WME coming. Either way, Sims is one of the first rats off the sinking ship with a cool list and I have to imagine her attorney is doing a lot of dining out.
It also can’t hurt that Sims seems to be well regarded in both music and film.
keep it rolling….It is truly enjoyable to read the fake sensitivity emerge. No one stops to think about the small agenices who loose their clients and income when they are raided by the same s.o.b.s that are now crying the blues…what goes around, comes around!
Good point, “Anonymous @ 2:41 pm”
Seems the smaller agencies would be great refuge for clients, especially now.
Bigger is not always better (except for some things, that is.)
Dana worked with us packaging a project early last year and she was wonderful; I have no doubts that she’ll be just fine and most likely far better off.