The Pellicano Trial: Garry Shandling Goes After Brad Grey on the Stand

Posted by Matthew Belloni

Actor/comedian Garry Shandling took the stand this morning in the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping trial. THR's Leslie Simmons was there and filed this detailed report. Some highlights: 

Shandling painted his manager Brad Grey (now head of Paramount) as a Svengali of sorts, keeping Shandling's contracts in lockdown and not allowing Shandling or his attorney, Barry Hirsch, to get a look at them. That falling-out led to Shandling's civil lawsuit against Grey over commissions, which led to the actor's ensnarement in the Pellicano scandal.

• Shandling appeared uncomfortable when shown a list of records searches done by LAPD Sgt. Mark Arneson, who allegedly ran illegal queries on Shandling and several in his circle, including his ex-girlfriend, his accountant and his best friend, fellow comedian Kevin Nealon and his then-wife Linda Nealon. "This bothers me as much as the first time I was shown this," Shandling testified.
• Shandling said that he later learned from Hirsch that Grey was "triple dipping" on his commissions, including collecting producer fees for "The Larry Sanders Show" as well as management fees for Shandling as a writer and as an actor.
• He then testified that he had known of Pellicano through Grey five years earlier, before the contract dispute surfaced. Grey, he said, told him: "With Bert Fields, you get Anthony Pellicano."

Interesting stuff. It's all in the story.

UPDATED: Brad Grey has issued a response to the Shandling testimony:

"I am extremely saddened by Garry’s recollection of events dating back more than a decade. His representation is very different than what I remember and what I know to be true. Garry and I had a long personal and professional relationship, which frankly ended when he hired David Boies, and sued me and Brillstein Grey for $100 million. His actions forced us to hire our own lawyer -- Bert Fields -- and our friendship was overtaken by a legal process that was directed by lawyers and which ended with an equitable settlement. Even though we haven’t spoken since that time, he remains one of the most talented people I have known and I wish him only the best."