Steve Alexander quits ICM after LA Times investigation

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ICM Partners confirmed Thursday that senior agent and partner Steve Alexander has left the Century City talent agency.

Alexander’s departure comes less than three months after allegations about his behavior were raised in a Los Angeles Times investigation. The investigation brought to light numerous allegations of harassment and other misconduct against women by several male officers and executives, including Alexander.

An ICM representative declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Alexanders’ exit.

The company, including three female ICM board members, admitted that it was part of a tough, competitive and labor-intensive industry, but denied that it favored a hostile working environment.

In a May statement, the ICM said it does not tolerate harassment, bullying or other inappropriate behavior. HR investigates all reports received and deals with each with appropriate disciplinary action.

A person familiar with the matter said that Alexander was considering starting his own management company. Alexander did not immediately return a request for comment.

Alexander represented clients such as Tatiana Maslany and John Travolta and had worked for ICM since 2014. He previously worked for short-term firm Resolution, and prior to that was a senior agent at CAA.

Alexander has built a reputation as a relentless agent who fights for his clients.

But the Times article described the inappropriate behavior of Alexander and other high-level agency executives. A fundraiser for the film alleged that Alexander exposed himself to her inside a car, according to three people familiar with the case who declined to be named.

In the spring of 2016, the executive met Alexander for a business drink at the Peninsula Beverly Hills and was driving him to his car when he opened the zipper on his pants and started touching himself in the genital area, according to one of those familiar with the incident.

The executive then informed a female ICM leader of the incident and Alexander was put on leave, according to the three sources. A source close to the company said it had investigated and taken appropriate action, which it did not specify. Alexander denied the allegations.

The film’s female financial executive declined to comment. The Times does not identify victims of alleged sexual assault without their consent.

Another alleged incident occurred in August 2019, when Alexander sent a flirtatious direct message to a former ICM assistant, not his own, who had left the agency months earlier after colliding with his boss, according to two people familiar with the exchange. The Instagram post, which included a fiery emoji, was in response to a selfie posted by the young woman that accentuated her cleavage.

Several other ICM agents have also been accused of inappropriate behavior by women who complained to human resources or senior agency officials. Since 2017, nearly a dozen women have reported allegations of mistreatment by male officers and executives company-wide, according to interviews with the women and those with direct knowledge of the incidents.

When The Times reported the issue in May, the company said its human resources department did not have a record of complaints, although a source close to the company admitted to investigating some of the complaints and taken appropriate action.

After the Times article was published, Times Up, an organization created to raise awareness of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace, called on the ICM to take all necessary steps to fully investigate these claims in a fair, safe and productive manner.

Allegations of inappropriate behavior in any workplace are deeply troubling and must be addressed immediately, Times Up said in a statement in May.

The ICM has since made changes, including setting up employee or talent hotlines to report misconduct, according to two people familiar with the matter.

But some critics have said that agency reforms don’t go far enough and that more of the ICM talent roster should publicly demand changes.

They should stand up and say something and embrace those who have been absolutely ostracized on their part by this behavior and by these men, said director-producer-actress-photographer Anna Wilding, a former client of ICM.

It’s all part of the day of accounts in Hollywood, whether it’s diversity or sexual harassment, Wilding said. Everyone should feel confident not to let this happen, to prevent it from happening, and to speak out and support those who have gone through it.

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