Terrence Howard in “Empire.”
Chuck Hodes / © Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection
Terrence Howard is suing CAA over alleged conflicts of interest in the agency’s dealings over his compensation empire.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, Howard alleges that his agents who made the deal with Fox prioritized their interests and the interests of the show’s producers, whom they also represent, by urging him to receive below-market salaries on his six-month salary. -Season run starring in the series. The Civil Aviation Authority declined to comment.
“I trusted CAA to take care of me, and they took care of themselves,” Howard said.
James Bryant, the attorney representing Howard, objects to packaging fees, where agents are paid directly by the studio in exchange for attaching actors or director to a writer’s plan. “Over the past few years, agencies have become more powerful and found a more profitable way to make money,” he said. “It’s in being the packaging agent that you represent the actors, the producers, the production companies, and your own financial interests. That’s where that fiduciary duty starts to break down. That’s why we’re here today.”
In addition to Howard, CAA repped series co-creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, as well as production company Imagine Entertainment.
According to Bryant, the lawsuit alleges that Howard was given misleading information about the salaries of similarly situated actors. When he asked what compensation others at his level of fame were getting, his agents allegedly gave him false comparisons when he should have been paid at Kevin Spacey’s level in House of cards Or Jon Hamm in mad men.
When asked about his salary, Howard said his deal gave him $325,000 per episode “at the peak of what I was getting paid” in season six. “I was never given producer credit even though I rewrote most of the scenes and acted as a producer,” he added.
The suit also alleges there was a racist element to the agency’s alleged refusal to negotiate in the best interest of Howard, who it says was paid up to 50 percent less than top actors on hit series.
“The discovery will show that this was racism,” said Carlos Moore, the lawyer representing the actor. “You wouldn’t find in a discovery that a white actor — nominated for an Oscar or a Golden Globe — was treated this way.”
“The CAA simply told Howard, ‘We’re not going to accept the 10 percent agency fee this time because we’ve got it together,'” Bryant stressed. In fact, it was terrible because they had no incentive to fight for this guy when he demanded his salary be negotiated the same as any other white actor.
Howard brings claims for breach of fiduciary duty, among other things. He is represented by James Bryant and Brian Dunn of Cochran, as well as solo counsel Carlos Moore. They urged other actors who believe they have been similarly misrepresented by the CAA to come forward to them.
This is not the first lawsuit Howard has filed regarding his compensation empireOne of the most watched shows on the network during its run. In 2020, he sued 20th Century Studios over alleged unpaid royalties for the use of his name and likeness in merchandise. The complaint alleged breach of contract and demanded accountability.
He also played the role of defendant in another lawsuit from his former talent management company that accused him of breaching an oral contract by not paying post-contract commissions. Authentic Talent and Literary Management claimed they were entitled to 10 percent of the gross revenues he earned from work in Hollywood during the time they represented him. It is worth noting that this included empire.
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