A former executive from Paramount Photo faces allegations of sexual harassment and emotional abuse from two ex-employees. One of them claims that her supervisor repeatedly assaulted her, as detailed in separate lawsuits.
The two women, referred to as Jane Doe in the legal documents, have filed suits against Patrick Smith, who recently stepped down from his position as Senior Vice President of Global Print Production amidst an investigation into alleged unlawful activities involving film studios and Paramount Global.
According to one lawsuit from earlier this month, Smith was the direct supervisor of a woman employed by the company’s vendors, Paramount Pictures and XYI Design. Reports from sources like the Hollywood Reporter and Variety highlighted these claims.
Smith was allowed to resign instead of being outright fired, an action that his lawyer, Eugene “Tip” Matthews, argued was deliberate. Matthews suggested this move was orchestrated to preserve Smith’s employment record, thus allowing him to potentially access retirement or benefits.
The allegations against Smith date back to 2016, where it is claimed that he locked a woman in his car and assaulted her by “pushing his hand between her legs.” The legal action was officially filed on July 14 in California State Court.
In 2018, the woman alleges that Smith took her to a secluded spot on the studio lot for sex, with accusations later surfacing regarding further sexual assaults. During this time, she had also been questioned by HR about Smith’s actions after another company employee filed a complaint against him.
The lawsuit asserts that Smith suggested to HR that he might handle the situation in a way that wouldn’t result in termination for the employees making the complaints.
The woman left Paramount in 2022, and another accuser claims she experienced similar harassment while employed at Paramount from 2017 to 2019. This second accuser asserts that Smith exhibited “predatory behavior,” often making sexual advances and propositions.
In her complaint, she mentions that after turning down Smith’s advances, he allegedly retaliated by manipulating account assignments handled by her advertising agency, despite the company’s competitive pricing.
Another lawsuit filed on July 9 states that Paramount ignored multiple complaints regarding Smith’s inappropriate conduct, leading to his termination from previous executive roles in other companies due to similar harassment claims.
These complaints highlight that Smith’s harassment was not isolated, with allegations reflecting a broader pattern of disrespect towards female colleagues.
Both lawsuits are seeking unspecified damages, and attempts to reach Smith, Paramount Global, and the lawyers involved for comment have been made.
