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Jeff Shell has settled a lawsuit brought by a former self-represented public relations consultant who accused the former Paramount Skydance chief of backing out of a deal involving a television show.
Both sides moved on Wednesday to reject their claims. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The consultant, RJ Cipriani, raised the chain of events that ended with Shell’s exit from Paramount when he alleged that the former executive improperly disclosed to him details about the timing and structure of Paramount’s $7.7 billion media rights deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship roughly a month before it was announced in August 2025. An internal investigation was conducted, clearing Shell of any wrongdoing, and an SEC investigation followed.
With this settlement, bigwigs across Hollywood avoid the possibility of being impeached in the case. Cipriani’s lawyers had subpoenaed media mogul Ari Emanuel and UTA co-founder Jim Berkus, among several others.
In the lawsuit, Cipriani claimed that Shell shared confidential information with him to suppress negative stories about him and circulate positive coverage of the company. One example: Shell last year sought his advice on a dispute between Paramount Global and Inc South Park The creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, were asked about a new streaming deal, according to the complaint. Cipriani said he was involved in the V.I. story Hollywood Reporter explored the battle, taking credit for shifting the public narrative in Paramount’s favor and ultimately saving the company $1.5 billion.
“I’m the one who posted the article to you!!! I didn’t want to tell you until it was published so you have plausible deniability,” Cipriani texted Shell after the story was published, according to the lawsuit.
Their relationship soured when Shell did not follow through on the alleged agreement to buy the Spanish-language Roku chain. Serenata de las EstrellasLatin artists such as Ozomatli and Los Lobos offer surprise mini-concerts for fans who have fallen on hard times, the lawsuit said.
In a joint complaint, Shell alleged blackmail and defamation. “Cipriani did not come to court to enforce some alleged oral agreement,” Shell attorney Stephen Olson wrote in the lawsuit. “He came to complete the blackmail.”
During a meeting earlier this year organized by powerful Hollywood lawyer Patricia Glaser, who represented the men in unrelated matters, Cipriani alleged that Shell had refused to compensate him for 18 months of work. After those talks collapsed, Glaser offered him $150,000 of her own money to resolve the dispute, according to the complaint. Cipriani claimed that the high-powered lawyer had a conflict of interest while mediating those discussions.
Other confidential information Shell allegedly shared with Cipriani: talks with the UFC over a $7.7 billion media rights deal and Paramount’s intention to raise its hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery to $30 per share in cash, with additional financing commitments.
Representatives for Shell and Cipriani did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
