Spotlight stays on toxic Hollywood workplaces with LA Times’ ICM report

The LA Times took a deep dive into accusations of workplace misconduct at the talent agency ICM. The array of allegations include at least one instance of sexual assault, plus more standard bullying that has permeated all the major talent agencies in Hollywood.

ICM is the smallest of the “Big Four” talent agencies (CAA, WME, and UTA are the other three), but has experienced massive growth in recent years and has bragging rights to some major clients, including Shonda Rhimes.

The industry is having a moment of reckoning regarding abusive workplace behavior. The agencies have long run on a “pay your dues” mentality, where agents would bully assistants, then those assistants would one day become agents bullying their own underlings. Some members of Gen Z are thinking about how they can stop the cycle of abuse.

But old Hollywood habits can be hard to kick, and there’s not yet enough evidence to see if this is a sea change or just a blip on the radar of industry issues.