Paramount Pictures Hit With Lawsuit: Ex-Employees Claim Sexual Assault, Harassment by Former Exec!

Two former employees of Paramount Pictures have filed lawsuits against the company and a previously high-ranking executive. The lawsuits allege that one of the women was sexually assaulted by the executive, and both claim they endured sexual harassment and psychological mistreatment during their tenure at the studio.

The legal actions against both the studio and its parent company, Paramount Global, were initiated by two individuals, both referred to as “Jane Doe” in the legal documents. These lawsuits were filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, and are accessible via two online links. Both are pursuing unspecified compensatory damages. The plaintiffs are represented by the law firm Ivie McNeill Wyatt Purcell & Diggs, with additional representation for the plaintiff alleging sexual assault provided by Eugene “Chip” Matthews.

The executive accused in these cases is Patrick Smith, who formerly served as the senior VP of print production in Paramount Pictures’ marketing department. The lawsuits state that both women were employed at Paramount Pictures and at XYi Design, a third-party vendor associated with the studio, under Smith’s direct supervision. Smith resigned earlier this year after an internal probe into allegations of his misconduct, as stated by Matthews, the attorney for one of the plaintiffs.

Matthews explained to The Bangin Beats via email that Paramount chose to let Smith resign instead of firing him, which allowed him to leave without tarnishing his employment record, potentially preserving his eligibility for retirement benefits or other entitlements. Matthews further noted that after Smith’s departure, he was reportedly sent off with a package of memorabilia from the ‘Mission: Impossible’ premiere, along with a note thanking him for his service.

Attempts to reach representatives for Paramount Pictures, Paramount Global, and Patrick Smith for comments were not successful. XYi Design, based in London, also did not respond to a request for comment.

Both lawsuits claim that despite numerous complaints about Smith’s egregious behavior and sexual misconduct, Paramount Global and Paramount Pictures continued to employ him as a Vice President.

The first Jane Doe, in her lawsuit filed on July 14, details starting work at XYi in August 2016, just after college, under Smith’s supervision at Paramount’s offices. She alleges that Smith began sending her sexually suggestive texts and made inappropriate physical advances that escalated to sexual assault. These incidents included touching her inappropriately, forcibly kissing her, and more severe acts of sexual assault in his car and office.

The lawsuit also describes psychological abuse, stating Smith would frequently verbally berate her, manipulate her emotions, and use his position of power to coerce her into unwanted sexual acts, including during work hours on studio premises.

The second Jane Doe, who started at Paramount in 2017 and later worked for XYi Design, similarly reports abusive behavior from Smith that was both sexually predatory and emotionally damaging. She describes how Smith limited her job responsibilities following her maternity leave, made degrading comments about her body, and created a hostile work environment.

Both plaintiffs describe a workplace where they felt dehumanized and fearful daily due to Smith’s actions and the studio’s alleged negligence in addressing the complaints against him.