Veteran Hollywood talent manager Vincent Cirrincione is closing down his company, Vincent Cirrincione Associates, following a story in the Washington Post on Friday in which nine women accused him of unwanted sexual advances over a period of two decades.
According to Deadline,the move comes after some of his biggest clients, including Taraji P. Henson and Julie Benz, dropped him as a manager over the weekend, sources said.
“It is with incredibly great sadness that at this time, I believe it’s in the best interests of all my actors and actresses that I represent to close my management company,” Cirrincione said a statement to Deadline. “This business is hard enough and I don’t want to distract in any way from their careers or opportunities in the entertainment field. I wish all the people I represent the very best in all their future endeavors.”
Cirrincione, who has worked in the business for about 40 years and has been closely associated with the careers of Oscar winner Halle Berry and Empire star Henson among others, used his reputation “as an important gatekeeper for black actresses” to “prey upon young women of color seeking an entry into Hollywood,” the Post story said, outlining allegations by eight African-American women and one Asian-American.
One of the alleged victims, Tamika Lamison, says she was a 27-year-old New York stage actress in 1996 when an audition with Cirrincione ended when he grabbed her, kissed her and said he’d accept her as a client in exchange for sex. Lamison pushed him away and left.
Three of the women say he demanded sex as a condition for representing them and, when they refused, he did not take them as clients. A fourth, according to the Post, said Cirrincione offered to advance her career for monthly sex, and a fifth said he masturbated in front of her “in his office during the years he managed her.”
Both Berry, who had left Cirrincione two years ago after hearing rumblings of improper behavior on his part, and Henson, who was still a client when the allegations surfaced on Friday, spoke up over the weekend, expressing shock over the claims and support for the victims.
Emeh Achanga,the CEO of the Miss Petite Nigeria Brand is a lawyer turned blogger. She is very passionate about writing, with several publications and awards to her credit .She is currently working on publishing a collection of short stories which are basically a memoir about her exciting true experiences.
