The Life Cycle of a P.R. Disaster

John Powers Middleton
John P. Middleton accused Roy Lee of using the perks to build out his own business while shortchanging Middleton on producer fees and credits. Photo: Movi Inc/Variety/Penske Media/Getty Images
Eriq Gardner
January 29, 2025

Hollywood breakups are commonplace, yet occasionally a partnership crumbles so spectacularly that it calls for a full-scale mobilization of lawyers, spin doctors, and shrinks. Such was the case in 2019, when John P. Middleton, the scion of a tobacco empire and part-owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, sued Roy Lee, the producer behind hits like The Departed, It, and this weekend’s Companion. Middleton had invested millions in Lee’s film projects and showered his then ally with perks like yachts, use of a Malibu mansion, a private jet, and 50-yard-line Super Bowl tickets. The honeymoon didn’t last, of course. Middleton accused Lee of using the perks to build out his own business while shortchanging Middleton on producer fees and credits. Lee volleyed back, painting Middleton as a dilettante more interested in high-rolling than rolling up his sleeves and working, suggesting it was Middleton who bailed financially after their partnership collapsed under the weight of a fresh venture with Casey Affleck.