$150 Million Lawsuit Filed by RJ Cipriani Against Jeff Shell, Including Subpoena for Ari Emanuel
RJ Cipriani filed a $150 million lawsuit against Jeff Shell on Monday. Ari Emanuel, chief of WME and TKO, received a subpoena requiring a deposition on May 19. The case involves alleged text exchanges about a $7.7 billion UFC streaming rights deal.
cnbc.com# Cipriani Lawsuit and Emanuel Subpoena RJ Cipriani filed a $150 million lawsuit against Jeff Shell on Monday. Ari Emanuel received a subpoena in the civil case. Cipriani’s attorneys require Emanuel to appear for a deposition lasting up to seven hours on May 19 at their Beverly Hills law offices.
A letter was sent on April 9 to WME Group chief legal officer Courtney Braun regarding the subpoena for Ari Emanuel. Ari Emanuel is the chief of WME and TKO. Emanuel is considered a material witness for plaintiff RJ Cipriani in his lawsuit against Jeff Shell.
The deposition of Ari Emanuel covers all communications regarding Cipriani’s knowledge of or communications concerning the UFC transaction.
Attorney Statements on Emanuel's Role Steven Aaronson, Cipriani’s attorney, wrote to Courtney Braun that Emanuel’s direct communications with Cipriani and Jeffrey Shell bear directly on the core allegations in this action.
Steven Aaronson wrote to Courtney Braun that Emanuel’s cooperation with the document production process and deposition will be necessary and appreciated.
Lawsuit Details and Prior Events Cipriani’s lawsuit against Shell, Paramount principals David Ellison and Larry Ellison, and board members contains text exchanges between Cipriani and Shell.
7 billion deal for Paramount+ to acquire streaming rights to UFC bouts. 7 billion UFC streaming rights deal was publicly announced after the alleged discussions. Jeff Shell stepped down from his post as president of Paramount Skydance.
Story Timeline
5 events- 2026-04-14
RJ Cipriani filed a $150 million lawsuit against Jeff Shell.
1 sourceunattributed - 2026-04-09
A letter was sent to WME Group chief legal officer Courtney Braun regarding the subpoena for Ari Emanuel.
1 sourceunattributed - 2026-05-19
Ari Emanuel required to appear for deposition lasting up to seven hours.
1 sourceunattributed - post-alleged discussions
The $7.7 billion UFC streaming rights deal was publicly announced.
1 sourceunattributed - prior to current date
Jeff Shell stepped down from his post as president of Paramount Skydance.
1 sourceunattributed
Potential Impact
- 01
Document production requirements may affect WME operations.
- 02
Lawsuit expansion to include Paramount principals may prolong case.
- 03
Potential delays in UFC-related business dealings due to ongoing litigation.
- 04
Increased scrutiny on communications between entertainment executives.
- 05
Deposition could reveal details on the $7.7 billion deal structure.
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