Composer and entrepreneur Jared Gutstadt sued former longtime girlfriend Mary Koons, saying the musician, model and actress known professionally as Scarlett Burke is a serial liar and chronically broke manipulator whose own lawsuit alleging he raped and abused her during their nearly seven years together is an extortion plot meant to harm his career.
Gutstadt, aka “Jingle Jared,” an award-winning TV composer and founder of the licensing platform Jingle Punks and media company Audio Up, filed his lawsuit Tuesday in a Los Angeles Superior Court, where Koons first sued him on New Year’s Eve.
Koons’ lawsuit alleges that Gutstadt subjected her to years of psychological manipulation, physical violence and sexual abuse, including rape and sex trafficking, while they were dating from 2017 until 2023. Gutstadt’s countersuit denies all of the above, saying Koons was the abusive one, marked by a pattern of erratic behavior, volatile physical confrontations and pathological lies.
His civil claim accuses her of intentionally trying to ruin his business and reputation, inflicting emotional distress, invasion of privacy and civil theft. Gutstadt seeks unspecified damages to be determined by a civil jury, claiming Koons’ actions caused significant personal and professional harm.
“Her motives for suing Jared are transparent — to extort money and to ruin Jared’s life and professional relationships,” the filing states. It further cites evidence, including text messages and witness accounts, that it claims disproves Koons’ allegations.
Despite the relationship’s ongoing turbulence, Gutstadt says he provided substantial financial and emotional support during their time together, helping with cash payments, housing, travel and medical expenses for Koons’ mother’s cancer treatments.
Gutstadt’s complaint outlines a series of alleged incidents in which Koons flew into jealous rages, smashed property, spat antisemitic slurs at him and assaulted his ex-wife. He said Koons fabricated stories about past abuse to elicit his sympathy when she would spiral out of control.
Gutstadt claims as he tried to separate from Koons, she accessed his home surveillance cameras, interfered with business deals and disrupted recording sessions with other artists, damaging professional relationships and his reputation within the entertainment industry.
Lawyers for Koons did not immediately return message seeking comment Tuesday.
