LOS ANGELES—The California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement has ruled in favor of adult performer Nicole Doshi in a contract dispute filed against defunct talent agency Motley Models and former agency owner Dave Rock.
Casey Raymond, the hearing officer, ordered all contracts and arrangements between Motley, Rock and Doshi to be voided and terminated.
Rock and Motley are ordered to reimburse Doshi $25,875 in commissions paid to the agency, $10,850 for booking fees and added interest, $16,208 in attorney fees, and $261.24 in other costs. The ruling was ordered on April 30, 2024.
Doshi was in an exclusive contract with Motley Models but later accused Rock of violating the contract. At issue was a dispute over booking fees that Doshi’s attorney alleged were not approved parts of the contract and violated the Talent Agency Act.
Attorney Allan B. Gelbard of Encino represented Doshi and provided a copy of the final decision to AVN.
“The Labor Commission has now taken a definitive stance on the booking fees issue, finding them unlawful and a conflict of interest (as we’ve argued for years),” Gelbard told AVN. "Agents also can't use non-approved additions to their approved artists' contracts. It’s a very performer-protective decision, which the Talent Agency Act clearly requires.”
The Talent Agency Act governs every component of an agency contract, regardless of the type of performer.
The act also includes provisions to grant talent recourse to file contract complaints with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, which is also referred to as the Labor Commissioner’s Office.
Attorney Richard Freeman represented Motley. In a phone call, he told AVN that he “strenuously disagrees with the hearing officer's decision and determination.”
“One of the linchpins of the decision is with regard to the booking fees that have historically been charged and collected by the talent agents, and for which there has been great inconsistency from the labor commissioner's office in how to treat those,” Freeman said. “There has been no judicial determination on the validity of the booking fees, it's all been internal decisions from the Labor Commissioner's Office."
AVN reached out to attorney Michael Fattorosi for an outside party perspective.
After reviewing the decision document, Fattorosi explained: "I have always felt that agents charging booking fees to producers or 'double-dipping' was a conflict of interest and in violation [of the law]. This case provides further clarity in that regard. Agents in California will now have to review their talent contracts to ensure that going forward they will not be in violation.”
Peter Warren contributed to this story.
