By Andrew Hampp
Billboardbiz
July 25, 2014 6:00 PM EDT
Link to original article: Yoko Ono Publicist Kip Kouri Injured at NYC Restaurant, Alleges Homophobic Harassment
Kip Kouri, founder of Tell All Your Friends PR, is one of the most familiar and well-liked faces on the New York indie-rock circuit, repping everyone from Yoko Ono to Les Savy Fav to Guided By Voices to white-hot duo Sylvan Esso.
But a recent visit to Eataly, Mario Batali’s food emporium in New York’s Gramercy Park, ended in a violent altercation with the wait staff, leaving Kouri in stitches after allegedly being thrown through a plate glass window by a security guard. Kouri declined public comment while he sought legal counsel, but clients like Frenchkiss Records’ Syd Butler and Miniature Tigers began tweeting in Kouri’s defense, suggesting the incident was a hate crime and that a security guard used homophobic slurs against Kouri….
…Kouri declined comment, but deferred to his lawyer Richard Klass, who responded to Billboard in a statement: “Mr. Kouri vehemently denies the allegations made in the statement of Eataly’s representative. Mr. Kouri was at Eataly with his stepmother, sister and boyfriend, and a disagreement arose concerning the mishandling by Eataly of Mr. Kouri’s reservation. Mr. Kouri proceeded to leave the store after being harassed by Eataly’s staff, including being called homophobic slurs and enduring the staff’s homophobic hand gestures at him.
“As Mr. Kouri was exiting,” Klass continued, “three security guards became physical and began to push Mr. Kouri, his stepmother and sister, all the while calling him names. The security guards then tackled Mr. Kouri and threw him through a glass door, causing him to sustain serious injuries. Footage from Eataly’s security cameras were reviewed by the New York City Police Department and the investigation of the matter is pending.”
