Douglas Elliman CEO had intimate relationships with two brokers including mother of Jack Nicholsons child
The recently retired CEO of luxury real estate giant Douglas Elliman confessed to having intimate relationships with two brokers at the firm - one of whom is the mother of famed actor Jack Nicolsons love child.
The recently retired CEO of luxury real estate giant Douglas Elliman confessed to having intimate relationships with two brokers at the firm - one of whom is the mother of famed actor Jack Nicolsons love child.
After 21 years at the helm, Howard Lorber announced his retirement from the posh company on October 22, while under a dense cloud of sexual harassment accusations.
Just days before the shocking announcement, Lorber sat for a nearly five-hour video conference call where company lawyers probed the longstanding chief executive on his personal life and the rumored allegations.
Howard Lorber, the recently retired CEO of luxury real estate giant Douglas Elliman, confessed to having intimate relationships with two brokers at the firm - one of whom is the mother of actor Jack Nicolsons love child
Lawyers probing Lorber reportedly posed questions about the 76-year-olds connection to Jennine Gourin (pictured), a longtime broker at the firm and the mother of The Shining actors love child
The call reportedly included questions about the 76-year-olds relationship to Jennine Gourin, the 51-year-old mother of Nicholsons love child and a longtime broker at the firm.
The pair had been pictured together on numerous occasions during their overlapping time working at the real estate giant, including at high-profile events in New Yorks Hamptons.
Gourin earned more than a half-million dollars in commissions between 2013 and 2014, Bloomberg reported.
When asked, Mr. Lorber on occasion recommended Ms. Gourin, as he has done with hundreds of other agents, both male and female, Douglass Maynard, a lawyer representing Lorber, told Bloomberg.
Maynard added that his clients recommendations on Gourins behalf are not out of the ordinary as developers and customers may seek advice about which agents to best fit their wants and needs.
In the 1990s, Gourin is said to have had a fling with The Shining and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest star while she worked as a waitress.
Soon after rumors of the pairs fling surfaced, the 51-year-old gave birth to a baby girl, Tessa Gourin (pictured), in 1994
Nicholson has never publicly acknowledged that Tessa Gourin is his daughter, though his paternity is considered an open secret in Hollywood .
Lorber and Gourin had been pictured together on numerous occasions during their overlapping time working at the real estate giant, including at high-profile events in the Hamptons
After the rumors surfaced, the Gourin gave birth to a baby girl, Tessa Gourin, in 1994. Nicholson has never publicly acknowledged that Tessa is his daughter, though his paternity is considered an open secret in Hollywood.
The hours-long October 8 call also heard Lorber claim he had a relationship with another award-winning agent at the firm, Jessica Cohen, who had previously been outspoken about her experiences with other agents at the firm.
The company has been plagued by sexual harassment accusations dating back to 2008, when the Alexander brothers, Tal and Oren, were first accused of sexual assault.
The incidents were the catalyst for the companys inquiry into the CEO, Bloomberg reported.
Neither Tal or Oren have been charged with any crimes and have since left the firm.
Cohen claimed to have no memory of a night she spent with the brothers as she woke up in the hospital after attending a party with Tal and Oren in Manhattan in 2010.
She also claimed to have confided in Lorber years after the alleged incident, begging him not to tell anyone, the New York Post reported.
Amid Lorbers revelations, Cohens lawyer issued a statement claiming she was a victim and did not benefit in any way from the alleged relationship with the former CEO.
The real estate firm has been plagued with sexual harassment accusations dating back to 2008, when the Alexander brothers, Tal (center) and Oren (left), were first accused of sexual assault
Cohen claimed to have no memory of a night she spent with the brothers as she woke up in the hospital after attending a party with Tal and Oren in Manhattan in 2010
Any notion that Ms. Cohen had a "romantic" relationship with Mr. Lorber, or that any such relationship made it easier for her to become a top broker is categorically false, her attorney, Michael Willemin, told the Post.
Cohen was a top broker long before she met Mr. Lorber, and the treatment that she suffered at his hands and that of Douglas Elliman have had a profoundly negative impact on her life and career.
Lorbers lawyer shot back, claiming: The statement by Ms. Cohens lawyer is false and is flatly contradicted by what she told numerous people both orally and in writing over many years.
Following the video call, a special committee took a closer look at Lorber and ultimately decided that his actions had been inappropriate.
Lorbers lawyer told Bloomberg that the idea that the CEO was unseated after the special panel deemed his behavior inappropriate is false and contrary to what the company disclosed.
Upon Lorbers departure, he forfeited shares estimated to have been worth about $4.3 million at the time of their cancellation.
He also forfeited his right to severance payouts, which would be worth an estimated $6.4 million, regulatory filings obtained by Bloomberg said.
