When the powerful feel powerless, they turn to Bryan Freedman.
“No one that calls me for business is in a situation where they are happy to be talking to me,” said the Century City-based entertainment attorney. “Usually it’s in a person’s worst moment.”
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Moments like when a celebrity is embroiled in a tabloid saga or believes they’ve been wrongly accused, unjustly fired or discriminated against. His hiring alone can strike fear in an opponent.
“I’m willing to throw myself in front of a bus for a client,” he said. “That’s what people should fear.”
Freedman, 59, serves clients as unalike as right-wing firebrand Tucker Carlson and actor Gabrielle Union (who blew the whistle on alleged racism and homophobia at NBC). He is currently leading an investigation into the treatment of reality TV performers who want union protections through SAG-AFTRA.
Clients consider him a friend, family confidant and personal coach.
“He advised but never pushed if I wasn’t comfortable with something,” said Chris Harrison, whose run as host of “The Bachelor” ended after he defended a contestant accused of racism. “Bryan never failed to recognize the emotion involved.”
“He builds you up in your lowest moments,” adds TV journalist Megyn Kelly, who turned to Freedman after she was ousted from NBC. “I needed both a pit bull and a soft place to fall for me. And he was both.”
Born in Forest Hills, N.Y., Freedman had a peripatetic upbringing as his father, a pathologist, frequently changed jobs and often felt aggrieved. “I remember that feeling of wanting to help,” he said.
While toiling at law firms specializing in corporate work, Freedman gravitated toward individuals who felt wronged. That led him to his own practice with UC Berkeley Law School pal Michael Taitelman. After developing an expertise in talent agency regulations, he became the go-to attorney for the United Talent Agency, leading to more entertainment-related cases.
Freedman’s raised profile has opened him up to controversy. In 2022, press reports revealed that as a college student in 1985 he was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl. The case was settled in 1991 with no admission of liability.
Legally, Freedman cannot say much about the matter. But he acknowledged the experience provides insight into sexual misconduct cases he handles. “It gave me a greater appreciation of both sides of the issue,” he said.
Outside of the office, Freedman helps people who struggle with addiction (he lost a sister to drug abuse in 2022). The married father of two has been sober for 23 years.
“I’ve done a lot of work on myself,” he said.
