WME has suspended talent agent Brent Smith for 'behavioral issues.' He reps musicians like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino and more
Smith has represented a handful of high-profile musicians, including
, Calvin Harris, Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, Pharrell Williams, Childish Gambino and Frank Ocean. While it’s unclear what provoked the agency to take such action, multiple sources tellthat low morale and infighting have dominated the day-to-day goings-on internally. Those insiders describe the overall presence of bullying and “aggressive behavior” stoked by a power vacuum as the upper ranks of WME’s music division have shifted.
But with the coronavirus pandemic, the touring industry has been upended, losing some 90% of its revenues in 2020 as artists and fans have been quarantined at home. Agencies across the board have faced layoffs and furloughs. Just last week, 180 of its 600 employees, six months after those agency staffers were temporarily laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.. He was followed by co-head of music Sara Newkirk Simon, who transitioned to a consultant role with WME parent company Endeavor.
In their stead, Lucy Dickins was upped to co-head of WME’s music division, joining Scott Clayton and Kirk Sommer, who also retain the titles of co-heads. The three run the agency’s music division whose roster also includes The Weeknd, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Luke Bryan and Eric Church, among others.
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