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Public Relations Firm MWW Group Sues Former Top Executive For $10 Million, Alleges Fraud That Includes Megan Fox, Mindy Kaling

Megan Fox and Mindy Kaling are among the alleged victims in a scheme that also cost Manhattan public relations firm MWW Group some $2.5 million, according to court papers.

Andrew Garson, who was named to the 2018 “Top 40 under 40” list by PR Week Magazine, is the defendant in a $10 million lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Garson was indicated on wire fraud charges last year for allegedly duping his MWW Group employer into paying vendors from his previous job at Catalyst. But now, the company alleges, his machinations went even deeper.

MWW Group charges that Garson created budgets for “fictitious” marketing campaigns, and incurred debt to talent like Fox and Kaling on projects or budgets MWW hadn’t approved. That led to lawsuits and payment demands to a baffled MWW, including one request for $450,000 from Fox, according to court papers.

In some cases, MWW alleges, Garson made agreements that exceeded established budgets the company had set. That resulted in overages the MWW Group had to field, including $1.75 million to Kaling, who in 2018 starred in an MWW ad campaign for Barefoot Wine, the company claims.

Garson also misappropriated monies working on projects for various advertising clients, including $58,000 from Jack in the Box, $125,000 with Red Lobster and $270,000 from Cox Automotive, MWW charges.

Criminal charges against Garson are pending.

Garson joined MWW in January 2018 as EVP and co-lead of the firm’s sports and entertainment practice from Catalyst. The department was later acquired and rebranded WME-IMG, according to PR Week.

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