Brad Grey remained black and white as far as Anthony Pellicano's alleged illegal activity is concerned.
The Paramount Pictures chairman testified Thursday during the former private investigator's federal wiretapping and racketeering trial that he had no knowledge of any unlawful conduct on Pellicano's part when he was employed by the studio honcho some years ago to aid in his defense of a $100 million lawsuit brought by comedian Garry Shandling.
Shandling has said that he was the target of a "smear campaign" requested by Grey and orchestrated by Pellicano, who is accused of utilizing his LAPD contacts to access confidential records and run unauthorized background checks on Shandling, his then girlfriend and multiple associates and friends.
Grey, who at the time was still presiding over his entertainment management company Brillstein-Grey, said it was celebrity attorney Bert Fields and his law firm that engaged Pellicano's services—a decision he approved of. But, he admitted, he never bothered to thoroughly delve into what the P.I. was doing.
Fields had worked with him several times and "felt very comfortable with him," Grey said. "Lawsuits were left to our attorneys."
Following Grey's lead, defense attorney Chad Hummel asked, "You saw nothing that indicated to you that Mr. Pellicano was doing anything illegal?"
"That's correct," Grey said, but then after a moment amended his statement to say he never recalled discussing any of Pellicano's potentially criminally activity with Fields.
"It just never came up," Grey said.
Pellicano, who is representing himself, and four codefendants have pleaded not guilty to 110 counts of wiretapping, racketeering, conspiracy and other federal charges stemming from their supposedly shady actions while under the employ of various powerful and high-profile clients.
Seven former clients and/or coconspirators, including Die Hard director John McTiernan and Keith Carradine's ex-wife, Sandra, have pleaded guilty to various offenses stemming from their past associations with Pellicano.
Shandling had filed suit against Grey accusing the former talent manager of dipping too deeply into the till when it came to proceeds from Shandling's critically acclaimed HBO sitcom, The Larry Sanders Show.
In a statement released last week by his rep, Grey said he regrets how this affair has played out—as seen through the eyes of Shandling, that is.
"I am extremely saddened by Garry's recollection of events dating back more than a decade. His representation is very different than what I remember and what I know to be true."
Meanwhile, Linda Doucett, Shandling's onetime fiancée, who was deposed back in 1999 in connection with his lawsuit against Grey, testified Wednesday that Pellicano threatened her after she was approached by a Los Angeles Times reporter investigating his business.
"If you talked to [FBI Special Agent Stanley Ornellas] or the press you won't be seeing your child anymore and he won't be going to St. Jeanne's [a private school]," Doucett recalled an anonymous caller telling her in 2003.
Prosecutors also introduced into evidence a report Pellicano had drawn up on Doucett containing her birth date and Social Security number.
When facing her on the stand, Pellicano asked her how he knew it was he who had threatened her.
"In my heart," Doucett said. "You're the only bad guy I've ever known [who knew anything about my life]."