Primary Wave Entertainment is investigating whether its former co-CEO David Guillod’s previous company covered up a rape accusation against Guillod, partly out of fear that the accusation could threaten the company’s merger with Primary Wave.
Mergers typically require both parties to disclose any potential liabilities. But PWE executives said Guillod’s former company, Intellectual Artists Management, never disclosed the accusation or a $60,000 payment to the alleged victim, who was an assistant at Intellectual, prior to their 2015 merger. Both would have been red flags.
TheWrap exclusively reported Friday that the assistant received the payment and signed a non-disclosure agreement after a calamitous retreat Guillod hosted in December 2014. Guillod announced the merger during a boozy dinner there, and is accused of raping the assistant soon after.
Guillod has denied any non-consensual sex occurred.
PWE’s clients have included Mayim Bialik, Kristin Chenoweth, and, until Thursday, Gina Rodriguez. The “Jane the Virgin” star exited the company on Thursday.
The assistant has not responded to repeated requests for comment from TheWrap. But a person close to the young woman, and three former employees who were at the retreat, said Guillod took her from her bed and raped her when she was much too drunk to give consent.
“Consent was not possible. It was beyond that,” said one of the employees, who saw the assistant moments after her time alone with Guillod. “She just started bawling and was like, ‘I think I had sex.’ It was so clear that this had not been consensual.”
Guillod resigned from PWE on Saturday after a separate accusation, from “Ted” actress Jessica Barth, that he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2012. Two other woman have also accused Guillod of drugging and raping them in July 2015, when he worked for PWE.
All of the women have been in contact with police.
“When faced with the initial allegations against David Guillod, we acted swiftly and decisively as Primary Wave Entertainment has a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment and misconduct,” the company said in a statement to TheWrap on Friday. “We are investigating this thoroughly, including whether Intellectual Artists Management deliberately covered this up in 2015 during our merger discussions.”
Guillod’s attorney, Philip Kent Cohen, said in a statement Friday: “Mr. Guillod denies any allegations of nonconsensual sex. His defense team has interviewed multiple witnesses that contradict these accusations and we are confident that his name will be cleared.”