Marc Lasry sues former employee for allegedly trying to extort $50 million – BNN Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) — Billionaire Marc Lasry sued a former employee, alleging she tried to extort him out of $50 million by threatening to spread false information about the fund manager.

Gina Strum, who was a business development professional at Lasry’s Avenue Capital Group for about four years, threatened to make things “really, really, ugly” for Avenue and Lasry unless she was paid, according to a court filing in New York State Court. Lasry sued alongside his company and Sonia Gardner, his sister and co-founder of Avenue.

Daniel Kaiser, Strum’s attorney, said she and Lasry had discussions about her own grievances about Lasry and that her lawsuit was “clearly fabricated and retaliatory, a continuation of his attempt to control and harass Ms. Strum.”

Avenue said in the lawsuit that it paid Strum a severance package, without disclosing the amount, in 2013 after she threatened to make false accusations against the firm, and that she agreed to continue working with her as a consultant if she was unable to find another job “instead”. than suffer the undue consequences of a public report of false accusations. Over the ensuing decade, his communications with Lasry “veered into the personal, obsessive and simply inappropriate” while his demands escalated, according to the complaint.

“Plaintiffs suffered from Ms. Strum’s behavior because they concluded that if they did not do so, she would carry out her malicious threats to harm them,” the lawsuit states. “In retrospect, the decision to engage with Ms. Strum and accede to her demands was inappropriate, as Ms. Strum was unable (or unwilling) to find other employment and kept coming back to demand work and money from Avenue .”

According to the complaint, some of her messages to Lasry included calling him a “lovebug”, asking him to kiss him, telling him she loved him and dreamed of him, and “suggestive and revealing photographs and videos” of ‘herself. For example, she allegedly sent a video of herself in a revealing tank top to tell him she got a haircut. Lasry said in the complaint that he rejected her efforts, never reciprocated and generally ignored her communications.

In 2019, Strum and Avenue agreed that she would receive an additional $750,000 for certain consulting work, the complaint states. Then, earlier this year, after Strum received the final payments from the deal, she “renewed her threats of extortion,” the complaint says.

This behavior culminated in a demand for $50 million and a threat to file harassment charges against Lasry, who allegedly said in a text message: “This is going to be a movie – how one woman stood up to abuse and broke down one of the largest stores in the world. the street. » Strum also attempted to use false information about Gardner’s health to pressure Avenue into paying, according to the lawsuit.

Lasry alleges that his conduct damaged Avenue’s business relationships with consultants and investors, and is seeking relief. The lawsuit also seeks an order requiring Strum to cease his conduct and barring him from further contact with the plaintiffs.

The case is Avenue Capital Group v. Gina Strum, Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County.

–With help from Katherine Burton.

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