Pamela Adlon Fires 3 Arts’ Dave Becky in Wake of Louis C.K. Scandal

Pamela Adlon has fired her 3 Arts manager Dave Becky in the wake of a New York Times exposé on Louis C.K.’s sexual misconduct, as THR reports. Becky, C.K.’s long-time manager, is said to have played a role in covering up C.K.’s behavior, to which the comedian has since confessed.

Adlon and C.K. have been longtime friends and frequent collaborators. They worked together on C.K.’s 2006 HBO series Lucky Louie and his acclaimed FX series Louie, as well as on Adlon’s FX series Better Things (executive produced by Becky), which is currently one of our favorite shows on TV. FX announced last Friday they would sever all ties with C.K., who would “no longer serve as executive producer or receive compensation on any of the four shows [they] were producing with him—Better Things, Baskets, One Mississippi and The Cops.” C.K. was also dropped by Netflix, HBO and his I Love You, Daddy distributor, The Orchard, as well as by Becky and 3 Arts.

“My family and I are devastated and in shock after the admission of abhorrent behavior by my friend and partner, Louis C.K.,” said Adlon Friday in a statement. “I feel deep sorrow and empathy for the women who have come forward. I am asking for privacy at this time for myself and my family. I am processing and grieving and hope to say more as soon as I am able.”

Becky defended his handling of the C.K. allegations in an apology on Monday, claiming to have misunderstood the nature of Julia Wolov and Dana Min Goodman’s accusations. “I profoundly regret and am deeply sorry for not listening to and not understanding what happened to Dana and Julia,” Becky said. “At the time I heard the story third-hand, and I interpreted the conversation as two women telling a story about a sexual encounter with a then-married Louis. My intent was to seek discretion to protect what I thought was a matter of infidelity. I now comprehend that my response was perceived as a threat to cover up sexual misconduct. … What I did was wrong, and again, I am extremely sorry.”

The NYT reported that Wolov and Goodman “understood from their managers that Mr. Becky, Louis C.K’s manager, wanted them to stop telling people about their encounter with Louis C.K.” Becky “denied making any threats toward the women,” telling The NYT, “I don’t recall the exact specifics of the conversation, but know I never threatened anyone.”

As Paste’s Seth Simons wrote on the day The NYT’s C.K. story broke:

Whether Becky exercised his power passively or actively, and I think we all have a good idea which route he chose, he exercised it—to silence voices, to damage careers and to protect C.K. from facing any consequences. And that’s all secondary to the simple fact that he shepherded the career and fortune of a predator. He has to go.

Every comedian represented by 3 Arts has just been handed considerable power. Even if he’s not your manager, you make him money. His success depends on your happy relationship with your representatives. What happens if you tell them you’d rather bring that success to a company that doesn’t enable and cover up sexual misconduct?

Maybe they’ll agree. Maybe they’ll leave with you. Maybe they’ll say fine, get lost. Probably they wouldn’t flinch to lose one or two of you. But the dominos don’t fall until the first tips over. So long as business continues as usual, 3 Arts has no Dave Becky problem. You have the power to give them one.

With Adlon’s firing of Becky, the first domino has officially fallen. We’ll see what it knocks over.