Model's lawsuit against talent agency dismissed

[August 17, 2010]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A former beauty queen has dropped a lawsuit that accused a top talent agency and one of its agents of unwanted sexual advances, court records show.

An agreement to dismiss the case was filed Monday in federal court in Los Angeles.

Former Miss British Columbia Claire Robinson sued International Creative Management in May 2009, claiming she was exploited by an agent and his friend.

The lawsuit initially sought class-action status and sought a judge's ruling to end a practice called "hip pocketing," which was described in the case as involving an agent claiming to represent a person but never actually taking them on as a client. The suit claimed ICM engaged in the practice and that led to the sexual exploitation of Robinson and others who were sent on fake auditions.

ICM denied wrongdoing after the case was filed. Attorneys for ICM -- which represents top Hollywood talent such as Beyonce Knowles and Chris Rock -- and other defendants did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment Monday.

Robinson's attorney, Perry Wander, declined comment. The filings did not state whether a settlement was reached and did not provide further details.

The case sought millions of dollars from ICM and agent Jack Gilardi, who has represented stars such as James Caan, Charlton Heston and Burt Reynolds. One of Gilardi's friends, John Rockwell, was accused in the complaint of threatening and raping Robinson, a claim that Rockwell's attorney called "absolutely false" after the case was filed.

[Associated Press]

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