A man who is suing Live Nation and The Wiltern Theatre, alleging security guards wrongfully removed him from the venue after a Luann de Lesseps cabaret show in 2024 that included a meet-and-greet with the star afterward will have to shore up his punitive damages claim, a judge has ruled.
Brian D. Reiss’ Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges assault and/or battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. Reiss seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
On Friday, Judge Rolf M. Treu ruled there were not enough facts to back up his claim that prior problems between patrons and security were known to management.
Reiss’ attorneys contended that one person whom they identified as a “managing agent” should have known of reviews posted on Yelp and other platforms reporting patron concerns regarding the conduct, professionalism and their treatment by Wiltern security guards.
However, the judge said the plaintiff’s lawyers had not established the individual was a “managing agent,” that he was aware of the reviews or had any advance knowledge of the alleged prior problems. Treu gave Reiss’ lawyers 20 days to file an amended complaint.
In his prior court papers, an attorney for both defendants denied Reiss’ allegations and noted his employment agreement required him to arbitrate all work disputes.
According to his suit, Reiss went to Lesseps’ “Marry F Kill” show at The Wiltern on March 22, 2024 with a friend to celebrate the friend’s birthday.
The tickets were for seats in the front row and included a meet-and-greet with the original cast member of Bravo’s “Real Housewives of New York City” after the 61-year-old entertainer’s performance, the suit stated.
Reiss was taking selfies before their anticipated meeting with de Lesseps and her cast when security guards asked them to leave, the suit states. As Reiss began looking through his cell phone to show the guards his tickets, he was “aggressively and forcefully grabbed” by the guards and evicted from the theater in front of other guests, leaving him feeling “dumbfounded” and suffering from emotional distress, according to the suit filed last Nov. 20.
Reiss alleges Live Nation knew of the guards’ unfitness for their jobs.