Latest news with #CreativeArtistsAgency
National Post
14-07-2025
- Business
- National Post
Moonvalley Raises Additional $84 Million to Scale Ambitious Vision for Licensed AI Video Model
Article content Led by General Catalyst, with strategic backing from Creative Artists Agency, CoreWeave, and Comcast Ventures, funding will accelerate development of professional-grade generative videography platform Article content TORONTO & LONDON — Moonvalley, the AI research company building foundational AI video models and tools trained exclusively on licensed content, today announced it has raised $84 million in additional funding led by existing investor General Catalyst. The round includes strategic investments from leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), AI cloud CoreWeave, and Comcast Ventures. Existing investors Khosla Ventures and YCombinator also participated, bringing total funding to $154 million. Article content Article content The funding reflects a broader industry shift as enterprises and entertainment companies champion AI development that respects intellectual property. Major studios and global brands are increasingly prioritizing AI companies that build powerful models while respecting creators' rights, rather than platforms that rely on unlicensed material. Article content 'This funding proves you don't have to choose between powerful technology and responsible development,' said Naeem Talukdar, Moonvalley CEO and co-founder. 'We're building world-class models while respecting the creative community, and these partners will help us give studios and creators a real alternative to unlicensed models.' Article content Moonvalley's model, Marey, recently released to the public, is the world's first production-grade AI generative videography platform built for professional filmmakers and visionary brands. The company works directly with its filmmaking arm, Asteria – led by Bryn Mooser – to develop tools tailored for filmmakers and Hollywood studios that deliver cinematic quality, creative control and commercial-ready outputs. Article content 'We have the exciting opportunity to strategically partner with companies like Moonvalley, who are developing breakthrough advancements in media and technology,' said Allison Goldberg, Managing Partner of Comcast Ventures. 'Moonvalley's approach to generative videography combining technical excellence with respect for content creators aligns with how we think about innovation in our industry.' Article content 'Ethically led and talent-friendly applications of AI are a top priority for CAA. We see an opportunity with these emerging tools and technologies, and having a set of partners who are aligned in the ethics behind AI is critical,' said Alexandra Shannon, Head of Strategic Development, CAA. 'Moonvalley understands that AI should empower artists, not undermine them, and we are excited to help bring this new technology to our clients and the entertainment community at large.' Article content 'CoreWeave is proud to support Moonvalley as demand accelerates for foundational AI video models and tools,' said Brannin McBee, Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer, CoreWeave. 'Our relationship provides Moonvalley with access to advanced compute resources – including the latest GPU systems. Our infrastructure helps Moonvalley scale its commercially safe model to meet growing demand from studios and enterprises seeking powerful, legally compliant AI video solutions.' Article content With Marey now publicly available through the capital will help Moonvalley scale to meet enterprise demand. The company's priorities include expanding the licensed content library, developing API access for developers and internal platform teams, and building features that studio and enterprise partners have requested. Moonvalley is also hiring the engineering and support teams needed for enterprise-scale deployments. Article content 'Our research team is solving the hardest problems in video AI, from understanding real-world physics and natural motion to giving filmmakers frame-level control,' said Mateusz Malinowski, Moonvalley's Chief Scientific Officer. 'We're proving that licensed models can deliver the quality and precision that professional productions demand.' Article content About Moonvalley Article content Moonvalley is an AI research company building next-generation models and tools for creative professionals. The company brings together talent from DeepMind, Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, Disney, DreamWorks and other leading entertainment companies, unified around advancing visual intelligence. Through partnerships with film studios, production companies, and brands, Moonvalley is proving that powerful generative AI can be built while respecting artists' and creators' rights. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Football super-agent Jonathan Barnett accused of keeping woman as ‘sex slave'
Jonathan Barnett, a leading British sports agent who represented Gareth Bale and Jack Grealish, is being sued in American district court over accusations of human trafficking, rape and torture. An unnamed woman filed a lawsuit on Wednesday alleging that Barnett coerced the woman from Australia to the UK in 2017 and kept her as a 'sex slave' for six years, raping her over 39 times. She alleges that he 'trafficked, threatened, tortured and held' her in bondage across different locations around the world, including in Los Angeles, where the lawsuit has been filed. These threats alleged included those 'to her life and the lives of her minor children". The woman, who is referred to in the case as 'Jane Doe', has also sued Barnett's former employers Creative Artists Agency (CAA) - a Hollywood talent agency - which faces allegations that it 'used its employees and emissaries to assist Barnett in keeping' her as his 'sex slave'. Barnett and CAA have denied the allegations. 'The claims made in today's complaint against me have no basis in reality and are untrue,' Barnett said in a statement. 'We will vigorously defend this lawsuit through the appropriate legal process. I am looking forward to being entirely vindicated and exonerated.' Barnett, 75, retired last year after spending over 40 years as one of the most renowned sports agents, helping orchestrate Bale's world-record £85.3m move from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013. As well as Grealish, he also managed the likes of Ivan Toney and Jordan Pickford. He was ranked as the world's most powerful sports agent by Forbes in 2019. According to court documents, Barnett and Jane Doe first met in the 1990s through a professional athlete in London before reconnecting 27 years later, first online via LinkedIn before meeting in person. She was convinced to relocate to the UK from Australia with her teenage children, just weeks after getting back in touch in 2017, with Barnett's sports agency CAA Stellar covering moving expenses. The filing claims that she was raped in a hotel room in their first meeting as Barnett told her he 'owned' her. Barnett allegedly went on to impose strict rules of obedience on her, with the lawsuit saying she was made to refer to him as 'My Master'. The complaint goes on to describe that she would allegedly be 'tied up overnight without food or water' and would be forced to indulge in degrading acts such as drinking urine or ingesting faeces. 'This is a case about institutional abuse at the highest level,' the complaint reads. 'This case is about how one of the world's most powerful men in sports openly kept a sex slave for years, with the assistance of his employees, accountants, emissaries, and family members, and used his money and power to maintain coercive control over her and keep her in fear for her life and the lives of her children.' The lawsuit says that CAA 'knew or should have known' about the abusive behaviour, but the company strongly denies any prior knowledge of the complaints prior to first learning the allegations in January 2024. 'While the complaint attempts to connect these allegations to CAA's business, Ms. Doe has never been an employee, consultant, or contractor of CAA, ICM, or Stellar, nor has she ever had any business connection to CAA, ICM, or Stellar,' it said in a statement. Barnett was the co-founder of London-based sports agency Stellar Group in 1994 before it was sold to Hollywood agency ICM Partners in 2020. ICM later merged with CAA after being acquired by their larger rival. Jane Doe's lawyers are seeking compensation on her behalf. Barnett and CAA have 20 days to respond to the allegations by filing to the court.
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- The Guardian
Football agent Jonathan Barnett accused of trafficking, torture and rape
The leading football agent Jonathan Barnett is being sued in an American court over allegations of human trafficking, torture and rape. In a civil complaint filed in a California district court it is alleged that Barnett 'trafficked' the woman from Australia to the UK in 2017, 'tortured' her for six years by keeping her as a 'sex slave' and sexually assaulted her, including by rape, more than 39 times, as well as making 'repeated threats to her life and the lives of her minor children'. Barnett's former employer, the Hollywood talent group Creative Artists Agency, faces allegations in the same complaint that it 'used its employees and emissaries to assist Barnett in keeping' the complainant as his 'sex slave'. Barnett and CAA deny all the allegations. 'The claims made in [the] complaint against me have no basis in reality and are untrue,' Barnett said in a statement through his lawyers. 'We will vigorously defend this lawsuit through the appropriate legal process. I am looking forward to being entirely vindicated and exonerated.' Barnett was a leading sports agent for more than four decades before he retired last year. The 75-year-old is best known for brokering Gareth Bale's world record £85.3m transfer from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013 but has also represented a host of other top players including Jack Grealish and Ivan Toney. In the complaint an anonymous woman referred to as Jane Doe alleges that Barnett 'owned her' as a 'sex slave' for six years, subjecting her to alleged violent and abusive behaviour that was covered up by his employers. 'This is a case about institutional abuse at the highest level,' the complaint reads. 'This case is about how one of the world's most powerful men in sports openly kept a sex slave for years, with the assistance of his employees, accountants, emissaries, and family members, and used his money and power to maintain coercive control over her and keep her in fear for her life and the lives of her children.' The complaint says CAA 'knew or should have known' that he was 'keeping a sex slave'. CAA said it first learned of the allegations in January 2024 and Barnett left the company the following month. The company strongly denies any prior knowledge of the complaints against him. 'While the complaint attempts to connect these allegations to CAA's business, Ms. Doe has never been an employee, consultant, or contractor of CAA, ICM, or Stellar, nor has she ever had any business connection to CAA, ICM, or Stellar,' it said in a statement. In the complaint Doe says she first met Barnett in the mid-1990s through a friend before reconnecting in 2017 when he sent her a private message on LinkedIn saying 'something to the effect of, 'Nice pic'.' It says they arranged to meet soon after when she was visiting the UK from her home in Australia, and she claims that he urged her to move with her teenage children to London work for him, offering to pay for her accommodation and school fees for her two children. After moving to London, Doe alleges, Barnett raped her in their first meeting at a central London hotel, telling her that he 'owned' her and would kill her if she reported him. The complaint goes on to detail further alleged abusive behaviour by Barnett, including punishment beatings and tying her up overnight without food or water. The complaint also alleges that CAA made substantial payments to Doe on several occasions between 2017 and 2023, and used its employees assist Barnett. 'Given that Ms Doe was not a CAA Stellar athlete or sports agent, this conduct should have raised numerous red flags for Defendants to inquire into the nature of these payments and the relationship the company had to the persons they were tasked with assisting,' it says. Barnett formed the Stellar Group in 1992, with the former West Indies cricketer Brian Lara among its first clients, before selling it to the Hollywood talent agency ICM Partners in 2020. ICM was later swallowed by its larger rival CAA, in a deal completed in 2022 that brought together two of the world's biggest agencies. Barnett and CAA have 20 days to respond to the allegations by filing to the court.
AU Financial Review
04-07-2025
- AU Financial Review
‘Sex-trafficking' from Australia alleged in sports agent lawsuit
New York/London | The British sports super-agent Jonathan Barnett and his former employer, Hollywood talent group Creative Artists Agency, are being sued in a US court by a woman who says he raped her multiple times over several years. The woman, referred to as Jane Doe in the civil complaint filed in a California district court, alleges that Barnett 'trafficked' her from Australia to the UK in 2017 and 'tortured' her between then and 2023, keeping her as a 'sex slave'. Financial Times
CNBC
30-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
44-year-old CEO: This No. 1 trait separates the best employees from most other people—'I didn't get here' without it
A certain type of employee stands out from their peers, says Klutch Sports founder and CEO Rich Paul: someone who believes there's no limit to what they can do. Employees who are open to trying new projects at work — or who always raise their hand for opportunities, even if they've never done them before — are more likely to be noticed and rewarded by bosses, says Paul, who gained public recognition as NBA superstar LeBron James' agent and founded his sports agency in 2012. That's especially true for early career professionals and recent grads, Paul tells CNBC Make It. "Try to learn as much as you possibly can and have as much range as you possibly can," says Paul, who also hosts a class on MasterClass called "The Dealmaker's Mindset" that released on June 9th. "There's so much to do. You should never be [bored at] work."Paul learned this lesson firsthand, he added. Before becoming a sports agent, the Cleveland-native hustled to make ends meet. As a kid, he made money playing dice in the neighborhood. He worked at his dad's convenience store, where he learned about entrepreneurship, and built a local clothes-ironing business, he told "The Tim Ferriss Show" in October 2023. At age 21, Paul was running a jersey resale business — sometimes selling out of the trunk of his car — when he met James at an airport and struck up a friendship, he told The New York Times in October 2023. He worked as James' unofficial assistant for about five years before landing a role at Creative Artists Agency, one of the world's most well-known talent agency businesses, working under James' then-agent Leon Rose. After about four years at Creative Artists Agency, Paul founded Klutch Sports Group in 2012. His company now represents athletes including James, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson. "I didn't get here because I wanted to be a sports agent. Actually, that was the furthest thing from my mind," says Paul. "But I got here [by] not being complacent and understanding that I have no limitations in terms of my capabilities, and I can start in any role that I'm being asked to play." You can show your ambition at work by simply telling your boss that you're interested taking on new, challenging or exciting projects, says Jenny Wood, a bestselling author and former Google executive. "Agreeing to take notes for every team meeting or showing up early to help decorate for an office party," may not get you the promotion or raise you're looking for, Wood said in December. But "raising your hand to increase a given metric by 20% or volunteering to help drive a reorg and present it to leadership" can make you more successful, she said. If want to do a job you've never done before, you can tell your boss about your curiosity and eagerness to learn. Executives from Bill Gates to Mark Cuban say inquisitiveness is crucial to success, especially in the age of AI. "I can pretend that I'm gonna be able to predict where AI's going and the exact impact on the job market, but I'd be lying, I have no idea," Cuban said in October. "But I do know that I am gonna pay attention, and be agile, and be curious, and be able to adapt."
