'You're A Ridiculous Woman' Billionaire Yells In Harassment Trial

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — A billionaire hologram producer lashed out at attorney Lisa Bloom Tuesday as she cross-examined him in a sexual harassment trial, verbally attacking the lawyer and her mother, prominent feminist attorney Gloria Allred, before a bailiff escorted him out of the courtroom.

"I think you are an abhorrent woman," Alki David told Bloom. "Do something with your life, woman."

Bloom later moved to have liability decided in favor of her client, Chastity Jones, citing David's behavior in court and his alleged refusal to provide information on his financial assets before Tuesday. She said the asset information was needed, so she and her staff can analyze the numbers in case the jury finds that Jones can seek punitive damages.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rafael Ongkeko denied the motion, telling Bloom she could use David's deposition testimony in place of what she hoped to elicit from him.

"There are other avenues the plaintiff can take to get the best evidence before the jury," Ongkeko said.

David, 51, arrived late for his appearance as a witness in trial of the lawsuit filed against him in February 2017 by Jones, who was hired in January 2015 to work for two of David's companies, Hologram USA and FilmOn.TV. Also suing David in the same lawsuit is 32-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, whose allegations will be heard in a separate trial.

Jones, 42, alleges she was fired from her sales accountant job in November 2016 for refusing to have sex with David, who was behind the hologram technology that brought slain rapper Tupac Shakur to Coachella in 2012 and saw the late Michael Jackson moonwalk at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.

Jones testified earlier in the trial that David inappropriately touched her and showed her a pornographic video on her work computer. She also said David brought a male stripper into the workplace to celebrate the birthday of one of his executives. She said she found the stripper's appearance offensive and considered it sexual harassment.

Bloom opened her questioning of David by asking about the stripper. After he said he did not see the stripper's performance, Bloom confronted him with his deposition testimony in which he said just the opposite.

"Your depositions are ridiculous and you are a ridiculous woman. You and your mother should be ashamed of themselves," David told Bloom.

Allred was not present during David's outburst.

"You're worse than your client, you have no morals," David told Bloom. "I'm not going to respond to a cruel and opportunistic thief."

As Bloom pressed on with her questions, David shed a piece of clothing and complained that the courtroom temperature was too hot. Judge Rafael Ongkeko issued a series of warnings to David, saying the sheriff would be called if he continued his conduct.

David told the judge he would do his best to comport himself properly. But as Bloom's inquiries continued, David got off the stand, walked toward Jones, got on his knees and appeared to offer her his wallet. Arick Fudali, one of Jones' lawyers, was sitting next to his client.

"Back off," Fudali warned David.

David returned to the stand and went on to say that there was nothing wrong with having a stripper in an entertainment company. Meanwhile, the judge continued his efforts to calm David.

"I'm infuriated by what she and her mother have done," David told Ongkeko.

David soon thereafter left the stand for the last time, saying, "Just enter a default judgment."

As he walked near the plaintiff to where the bailiff was waiting, Bloom warned David not to go near Jones.

David left the courtroom with the bailiff without any further incident.

David's lawyer, Ellyn Garofalo, tried to calm her client as he left the courtroom. Garofalo said during her opening statement that Jones never made any allegations against David, a Beverly Hills resident and heir to a Coca-Cola bottling fortune. Before that, Jones praised her boss and said she loved her job, according to Garofalo, who described her client's business as a "wild and outrageous place" in which sexual innuendo was common.

Garofalo called as a defense witness Carl Dawson, FilmOn.TV's former head of marketing. He said he got along well with Jones and that she never complained about any mistreatment by David.

Dawson also said that Taylor, in the presence of a man she believed was her attorney, insinuated that he could benefit financially if he cooperated with her if she filed a lawsuit. He said she made the same offer during a phone conversation.

Dawson said he never knew about Taylor's sexual harassment allegations against David until she was fired.

Taylor testified last week that David once picked her up by the ankles and held her upside down, exposing her undergarments. She said he also played the same pornographic video on her computer that he showed Jones. She said she was hired as an account executive in January 2015 and was fired in June of that year.

Related Coverage:

• Billionaire Storms Out Of Court During Sexual Harassment Suit
• Coca-Cola Heir Held Staffer Upside Exposing Underwear, She Claims

City News Service