| Wikipedia commons. |
| Adam Levine from Maroon 5. |
A security guard who worked at one of the largest music conglomerates in the world is suing his former employer numerous labor code violations stemming from what she says was wonton marijuana use and drug abuse in Santa Monica building where she worked.
The woman – who remains nameless – charges that Universal Music Group in California blatantly allowed musicians and guests to smoke marijuana in the courtyard, in the stairwells, in the alleyway behind the building, in the studios, and even in the lobby.
The latter refers specifically to Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, who, according to the suit, lit up a joint in the foyer of the building and stunk up the studios during his visit. When the security guard complained, she was told at the time by Universal Music staff that “Adam Levine … can do whatever he wants. If he wants to come to the lobby and do a line of cocaine on the floor, that’s okay.” Levine isn’t the only one named in the suit. Macy Gray, MC Ren, TI, Future, and even American Idol participants allegedly were puffing tough at one time or another.
The security guarrd says her complaints to both the security company she was contracted out through and the bigwigs at Universal Music ignored her complaints. “Everyone turned a blind eye,” the suit alleges. “[Studio and security bosses] repeatedly told Plaintiff that [Universal Music] was a big contract … Therefore, Plaintiff’s complaints fell on deaf ears.”
In addition to the marijuana, she says that there was plenty of other drug use going on around the studio, and that she would occasionally find people passed out in the bathrooms, and finding bras and panties hanging around the office after particularly wild nights. Other times she says she was forced to babysit rappers who kept loaded firearms with them. She also says she was subjected to racial slurs, including being called the HNIC – or “Head N-gger in Charge”.
| UMG Publishing, Santa Monica, CA. |
That stuff we can understand complaining about. But the weed? We’re talking about a group of labels that includes Geffen, Island/Def Jam, Bad Boy, G-Unit Virgin and Blue Note and artists like Aerosmith, Amy Winehouse, The Black Eyed Peas, Bob Marley, Kid Cudi, MIA, Tupac, and Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne.
Now, we aren’t saying people have to put up with a bad work environment – but how is someone really surprised that marijuana is being smoked by musicians, in a studio, in weed-friendly California of all places?
We were surprised they don’t have an on-lot dispensary.
Read the entire lawsuit at HollywoodReporter.com.