LOS ANGELES—Adult industry talent agent Mark Spiegler won $85,000 in damages in a defamation lawsuit he brought against former director Skeeter Kerkove, the Superior Court of Los Angeles has ruled.
Spiegler filed a $3 million dollar defamation of character suit against Kerkove in Feb. 2009 after AdultFYI.com printed false statements about the longtime agent. AdultFYI quickly pulled the story off the site, but it gained legs on other gossip sites and within the industry.
Kerkove alleged that Spiegler received oral sex from four of his clients as a condition of getting them work. Kerkove, who was married to performer Bridgette Kerkove, directed more than 100 movies for companies including Private, Robert Hill Releasing, Metro and Sin City.
Spiegler told AVN that he received signed declarations from the performers in question—Jayna Oso, Katja Kassin, Melissa Lauren and Katsuni—that Kerkove’s allegations were patently untrue.
Kerkove, who has a lengthy rap sheet for various crimes, claimed he had videotaped evidence to back up his claims. No such tape was ever produced.
“I don’t go on the internet making false allegations and wild statements about people that are untrue,” Spiegler said. “Everyone says ‘Oh, I’m gonna sue you. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer,’ and it’s always an empty threat. I did this to prove a point.”
Spiegler said the court initially entered into a default judgment because Kerkove avoided being served with papers. He then retained representation and appealed the judgment twice.
Kerkove, who formerly resided in Tujunja at a house where he shot many of his movies, now is believed to be working at a Waffle House in Arizona.
Spiegler, pictured above at the 2008 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, is flanked by Lorelei Lee on the left and Adrianna Nicole.
