Randall Emmett sued by fired aide claiming he was forced to pay for prostitutes and bricks of cocaine
LOS ANGELES, CALFORNIA: Randall Emmett allegedly compelled his former Muslim assistant to pay for prostitutes, cocaine bricks, and gamble despite it being against his religion, according to the lawsuit filed by the Irishman producer's ex-assistant against him. Martin G'Blae, a black Muslim man, claims that the director used the N-word against him, created a toxic work atmosphere that went against his values, and even racially discriminated.
The 29-year-old, who served as Emmett's production assistant while 'Midnight in the Switchgrass' was being shot in 2020, has reportedly claimed that his employer broke the law a total of 24 times, as per LA Times. G'Blae lost his job at the production company Emmett/Furla Oasis, but he claims that racial discrimination played a part. On Tuesday, November 2, an ex-assistant filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court to prove this. The sacked assistant will be "held accountable for his actions in a courtroom," according to Emmett's counsel, who has denounced the accusations as "beyond fictitious," Daily Mail reported.
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One incident where racism was allegedly present involved Emmett and a book written by the musician 50 Cent. He supposedly "got mad at 50 Cent and G'Blae." He labeled 50 Cent "this f*****g n*****" and told G'Blae, "All you guys are alike," according to the lawsuit." All you guys are alike. All you guys do is hustle people." Later, he flung the book at G'Blae.
The former assistant claimed that because gambling-related tasks including dealing cards in a poker game are forbidden in Islamic culture, he felt "uncomfortable" performing them. Lawsuit claims, "Emmett still requested G’Blae to run poker-related errands for him approximately six more times, knowing it would make him uncomfortable and violate his religious beliefs," cited by Daily Mail. According to the bombshell lawsuit, his work also involved "paying Emmett's prostitutes and drug dealers." Additionally, G'Blae claims that the filmmaker would allegedly set up a "trap" by leaving pricey objects like designer watches to see whether he would steal. The lawsuit claims that he also forced the assistant, who was the sole black employee at the company, to "turn out his pockets to check if he had stolen anything."
While they were filming 'Midnight in the Switchgrass', Emmett, who is best known as the producer of 'The Irishman', also smuggled cocaine to Puerto Rico, according to the former assistant, placing G'Blae in an "unlawful and unsafe situation." A statement in the lawsuit reads, "Emmett had forgotten the code to the safe, so they had the hotel receptionist and a security guard open it. Inside, they found what appeared to be brick of cocaine. The other assistant quickly grabbed it, and they drove back to Emmett, fearing being pulled over and found with a brick of cocaine. When they gave it to Emmett, G'Blae told him forcefully to never put him in an unsafe and unlawful situation like that again."
Along with the alleged illegal acts, G'Blae asserts that he hasn't been properly paid for his work; however, Emmett's legal counsel asserts that the money he claims is owed cannot be proved. The ex-assistant said in a statement, "By bringing to light the illegal pay scheme, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation that I suffered during my employment with Randall Emmett and his companies, I'm glad to open the floor for these discussions to take place." He added, "I hope, through this, a message is made that there are just some things you cannot remain silent about — illegal practices, abuse, and your rights within the workplace are just a few of many."
The ex-assistant is seeking punitive damages, legal fees, and damages for emotional distress. Additionally included in the case are George Furla, Emmett's business partner, and their Los Angeles-based production company. Speaking to Daily Mail, Suann MacIsaac, attorney for Randall Emmett stated, "The allegations being made are beyond fictitious. G'Blae is a disgruntled former employee who was fired for cause." He added, "During the last year he has tried to get thousands of dollars from Emmett for supposed unpaid expenses that he cannot substantiate. G'Blae will most definitely be held accountable for his actions in a courtroom."