Dan Spilo is out at Industry Entertainment, the management company he spent decades building as a partner.
His departure comes a day after The Hollywood Reporter exclusively broke the news that Spilo had split with his most prominent client, Reacher star Alan Ritchson. The professional breakup followed an incident on the Australian set of the action feature Runner, which stars Ritchson and counted Spilo as a producer. Details were sparse, but things grew heated between the two men, resulting in Spilo departing the set and no longer getting a producer credit on the movie. In recent days, Kal Penn also departed Spilo’s roster, while Gen V star Lizze Broadway is no longer on his client list.
“Industry Entertainment is committed to providing a safe and respectful working environment. We take very seriously the recent allegations of inappropriate conduct on the set of the film Runner related to Dan Spilo, and are conducting a thorough investigation,” Industry’s partners said in a statement. “The Industry partners requested that he step away from the company, and he has agreed to do so, effective immediately. As a matter of policy and practice, Industry Entertainment has zero tolerance for harassment, abuse, or misconduct — no matter the individual’s position or tenure. Our commitment to a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment applies to everyone, without exception. We recognize our responsibility to foster a workplace culture that prioritizes the well-being and dignity of every individual.”
The manager is known for his hard-charging attitude and has detractors as well as some defenders in Hollywood. But his exit from Industry is a remarkable turn of events, given that he seemingly defied gravity for years, deftly navigating controversy that might have sunk others in Hollywood’s more sensitive post-MeToo era.
In 2019, Spilo famously became the first and only contestant kicked off Survivor after a female contestant accused him of inappropriate touching. The CBS show faced blowback for allowing him to stay on, but ultimately booted him after he touched a female producer’s thigh while entering a transport boat. Spilo publicly apologized, saying, “I truly regret that anyone was made to feel uncomfortable by my behavior.” In the aftermath, he lost an executive producer credit on Walker, starring client Jared Padalecki.
In the days following his split from Ritchson, he personally had called some of his clients to shore up support and reassure them all would be well, according to sources. For some, it was not enough to stay.
“I take full responsibility for my actions and am stepping back from work to focus on my mental health. During production, I was warned I was having a nervous breakdown, but I kept pushing through, which was a mistake,” Spilo said in a statement to THR. “My behavior was unacceptable and unrecognizable to me and while there’s no excuse, I’m committed to understanding and addressing the personal issues that led me here. For 25 years, I’ve dedicated myself to protecting, supporting, and guiding my clients and while I don’t expect forgiveness, I hope this moment doesn’t define the entirety of my career. I am now focused on healing and doing the work to be better.”
May 9, 2:20 p.m. PT. Updated with a statement from Spilo.
