In September 2016, plaintiff Lauren Reeves, 32, a comedy writer and on-air performer, quit working at Hologram USA, a theater production company, after an incident involving Alkiviades David, a producer who also owned the company. Reeves originally worked as an independent contractor at FilmOn TV, an Internet-based television provider owned by David, in 2015. She then began working with David again in 2016, but at another company that David owned, Hologram USA. Reeves claimed that David sexually harassed her and then assaulted her twice in April 2016. She further claimed that when David assaulted her again in September 2016, she left work and never returned. Reeves sued David and David’s companies, Alki David Productions Inc. and Hologram USA Inc. Reeves alleged that David’s actions constituted sexual battery, sexual harassment and workplace harassment and that Alki David Productions and Hologram USA were liable for David’s actions. Reeves claimed that she decided to work with David again in 2016 so that she could pitch an idea involving holograms. She claimed that David frequently propositioned her for sex and that David even put his hands around her throat twice while in the workplace in April 2016. Reeves further claimed that, during an incident in September 2016, David dropped his pants and forced her head toward his genitals. She alleged that David opened his door and called a sales executive into the office, hoping to convince the executive that she was performing oral sex on David. Reeves claimed that as a result of the incident, she was forced to quit. Defense counsel contended that David’s companies did not just make holograms but also created internet-streaming content that was intended to shock people. Counsel argued that David used his actions to portray shock humor that he would want Reeves to produce for his media companies. Defense counsel further contended that Reeves created her own sexually oriented material and that Reeves knew what she was getting into when she went back to work for David in 2016., Reeves claimed that she suffers from emotional distress as a result of the subject events. She alleged that she had to move four times since quitting out of fear that David would find her and that she now has trust issues with men. Reeves sought recovery of damages for her past and future emotional pain and suffering. She also sought recovery of punitive damages as a result of David’s conduct.