Adam Venit, a longtime talent agent at Endeavor and WME, is stepping down next week, an insider told TheWrap.
Venit found himself embroiled in the #MeToo uproar after Terry Crews, a former WME client, accused Venit of groping him at a party. Crews filed a civil suit against WME and Venit related to the 2016 incident. Venit’s departure was supposed to be announced on Monday, according to the insider.
WME said in a statement: “Terry Crews, Adam Venit, and WME have settled the lawsuit Mr. Crews filed last year. It will be dismissed.”
Venit, who has repped Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy and many other big clients, was suspended by WME in December while an investigation was held, but the agency ruled that while he would be demoted from his position as head of the Motion Picture Department, he would be allowed to stay on as an agent. The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office declined to prosecute Venit, saying that the incident fell outside the statute of limitations.
According to Crews’ lawsuit, he pushed Venit away after the alleged assault and turned to Adam Sandler, who was Venit’s client. “Adam, come get your boy!” he yelled. “He’s grabbing my nuts.”
After the party, Crews said Sandler called to see if he was OK and said that he was shocked at the behavior. Crews said he was worried about retaliation from Venit, even though WME head Ari Emanuel assured him that Venit “did not have that level of power despite his title as head of the Motion Picture Department.”
Deadline first reported the news of Venit’s planned departure.