Billionaire businessman Marc Lasry has filed a scathing lawsuit against a former employee, accusing her of waging a prolonged harassment campaign against him. Lasry, 65, CEO of Avenue Capital and former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, claims that one of his former managing directors, Gina Strum, tried to extort him for $50 million.
The lawsuit claims Strum threatened to spread false rumors about him and make things "really, really, really ugly" for his company unless she was paid. At the same time, she allegedly sent him a string of strange and flirtatious text messages. Lasry claims that Strum sent him text messages that included photos of herself in low-cut tops.
Ploy to Extort Money
Lasry claims that Strum in her flirtatious messages wrote things like, "My life doesn't really work without you. Stop punishing me," and "You are a lovebug to me."
"And one more thought- if I had to go through therapy and all this s*** just to talk to you. You could at least kiss me. We would know everything then," another text from the lawsuit read.
According to Strum's LinkedIn profile, she worked as a managing director at Avenue Capital from 2009 to 2017, though it is unclear when Lasry claims the alleged harassment started.
Lasry said that her behavior escalated over the years, including sending him photos and text messages that his lawsuit described as "personal, obsessive, and simply inappropriate."
The complaint also claims that Strum would often compliment Lasry, who has an estimated net worth of $1.9 billion, calling him "cute" and commenting on his appearance. She even remarked that one of his black turtleneck sweaters had her "sweating."
The lawsuit claims that Strum kept Lasry updated on her doctor visits for "girly bits." Lasry claims that he rejected her advances, and when Strum said she was "def lonely and flirting with you," he allegedly responded that he would be her friend, but "it can never be more than that."
The complaint further sayd that Strum's behavior escalated, ultimately leading to threats of making damaging accusations against Lasry and Avenue Capital.
Threat to Damage Reputation
Strum's lawyers argue that the situation intensified to the point where, in 2013, Avenue decided it was safer to settle with Strum rather than risk her allegations going public. Strum reportedly received a severance package.
However, as part of the agreement, Avenue continued to work with her in a consulting role, "rather than face undue fallout from a public report of false accusations," the firm said.
The new lawsuit claims that the company tolerated Strum's behavior because they believed that, if they didn't, she would follow through on her malicious threats to harm them. Over the next few years, Strum would back off her threats when she received attention and money but would "renew her threats and malicious actions" if that stopped, as reported by Fortune.
In 2019, Strum landed a lucrative consulting contract with Avenue worth $750,000. The firm continued paying her in installments until earlier this year, when she once again "renewed her extortionate threats," the complaint alleges.
Strum allegedly demanded $50 million and threatened to file a harassment lawsuit against Lasry, sending him a text that read, "This is gonna be a movie - how one woman stood up to abuse and collapsed one of the biggest shops on the street."
Lasry's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, claiming that Strum's actions have harmed his business relationships.
Strum's attorney, Daniel Kaiser, told Bloomberg that she denies the allegations and claims that Lasry is "retaliating" against her.
