Paramount's Jeff Shell Strikes Back Against Vegas Gambler

Paramount President Jeff Shell has fired backmost successful his ugly feud with a Las Vegas gambler and FBI informant, contending that Robert “R.J.” Cipriani has fictionalized nan 2 men’s dealings, past dispersed “false and salacious lies to extract a monolithic payday.”

Shell revenge a suit 1 week aft nan high-roller had sued Shell successful Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Cipriani’s suit had alleged fraud and breach of an oral statement tied to his claims that Shell grounded to present connected a verbal promise to thief him create an English-language type of a Spanish euphony show that streams connected Roku TV. Cipriani has been seeking $150 cardinal successful damages.

However, Shell’s lawsuit, revenge Monday successful Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges he was nan unfortunate of extortion and defamation.

“R.J. Cipriani did not travel to Court to enforce immoderate purported oral agreement. He came to complete a shakedown,” according to Shell’s counter-claim lawsuit. “Cipriani’s playbook useful for illustration this: usage a trusted communal relationship to cozy up to a high-profile target; leech to nan fringes of nan target’s world while manufacturing nan illusion of closeness; falsely declare you person been helping nan target from down nan scenes.”

Shell contends that Cipriani demanded compensation for his unsolicited efforts, past sought to “weaponize that fiction,” followed by a threat of nationalist vulnerability to extract an alleged payday.

The move comes arsenic Shell faces scrutiny aft his Paramount bosses hired a rule patient to analyse his surreptitious dealings pinch Cipriani, a self-styled “fixer.” Investigators person been reviewing whether Shell leaked delicate firm secrets during his relation pinch Cipriani, who volunteered to beryllium Shell’s “crisis PR” consultant.

Shell denied nan declare successful his lawsuit.

“Shell had disclosed nary specified information, and he refused to salary a dime. Under black-letter California law, Cipriani’s usage of threats to extract money was extortion. And Cipriani’s mendacious and incendiary accusations successful nan property and to countless others that Shell had violated securities rule are defamation per se.”

High-powered lawyer Patty Glaser introduced Cipriani to Shell during an August 2024 meeting. Both men were clients astatine nan time, and she and Shell had logic to judge Cipriani was attempting to operation up antagonistic property sum astir Shell to scuttle his comeback aft his ouster from NBCUniversal, wherever he served arsenic main executive for 3 years.

Jeff Shell, Paramount Skydance President

(Paramount/Skydance)

Shell’s suit was brought by Steven Olson of O’Melveny & Myers successful Los Angeles.

Shell officially joined Paramount pinch David Ellison’s takeover successful August but he had been portion of Ellison’s squad for astir 2 years arsenic they laid nan groundwork to combine nan pieces of Ellison’s increasing empire, first by acquiring Paramount and past Warner Bros. Discovery.

The longtime media executive besides serves arsenic a personnel of Paramount’s board.

Cipriani and his lawyer were not instantly disposable for comment.

Robert James “R.J.” Cipriani successful Amazon Prime Video’s 2025 series, “Cocaine Quarterback.”

(Courtesy of Prime)