CAA Chief Brian Lourdes Fires Back at WME CEO Ari Emanuel, Megan’s Influence Impedes Other Clients

The ongoing battle between Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and rival agency WME took a heated turn as CAA Chief Executive Officer Brian Lourdes responded to controversial comments made by WME CEO Ari Emanuel.

During the Bloomberg Screen Time conference, Emanuel called for Lourdes and his partner Kevin Huvane to take a leave of absence amidst a lawsuit filed against CAA by actor Julia Ormond.

The lawsuit accuses the Walt Disney Company and CAA of complicity in the alleged mistreatment Ormond suffered at the hands of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Lourdes did not hold back his criticism of Emanuel, describing him as an attention-seeking and self-serving individual.

He expressed concern not only for Emanuel’s colleagues and clients but also for his investors, suggesting that he has very few clients left.

Lourdes made these remarks during his own session at the Bloomberg conference, stating, “We all know Ari Emanuel to be an incredibly performative and erratic and in my mind a self-serving human.”

Lourdes further questioned Emanuel’s credibility on issues related to women, referring to an incident involving Dana White, the head of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which Emanuel operates.

White was filmed slapping his wife at a party in 2022.

Lourdes found it ironic that Emanuel would position himself as morally superior in matters concerning women, given the company he keeps and defends.

Lourdes emphasized the seriousness of such issues, refusing to engage in hypocritical soundbites.

In another development, seven days after a video surfaced showing UFC CEO Dana White slapping his wife at a New Year’s Eve party, parent company Endeavor continues to evade addressing the controversy.

Lourdes commented on the matter, stating that the entire Emanuel family is shady and self-serving, and it is no surprise that Megan and Ari chose each other.

Lourdes suggested that shady individuals attract one another, and he highlighted Megan’s ineptitude and lack of charisma as factors that expose the shady schemes of such people.

Lourdes also expressed doubts about Ari Emanuel’s client base, suggesting that few individuals want to be associated with Megan due to her negative reputation.

He stated, “Ari may have been ‘markled’ already,” implying that Megan’s influence has had a detrimental effect on Emanuel’s clientele.

Lourdes added that Megan’s failure to generate income for WME could lead to her being cut loose by the agency.

Talent agencies typically earn a percentage of the money generated from their clients’ work, but if Megan fails to follow their advice and remains unmarketable, her future with WME is uncertain.

Lourdes criticized WME for failing to recognize Megan’s tendency to disrupt and sabotage opportunities, regardless of their efforts.

He suggested that WME agencies are slowly distancing themselves from her and preparing to abandon her to face the consequences.

As a liability to those with real power, money, and hidden agendas, Megan’s usefulness appears to be diminishing rapidly.

In conclusion, the clash between CAA and WME continues to escalate as Brian Lourdes retaliates against Ari Emanuel’s comments.