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David Crawford Vs. American Hardcore

I get T.J. DiReda (co-owner of American Hardcore) on the phone (2/15/06).

Luke: "I hear you owe David Lord (aka David Crawford) money and that he might sue you."

TJ: "That's the first I've heard that he might sue.

"We're revving up to three more titles a month.

"It's been frustrating to find a team of people who bring their best game to the table. We've gotten fed up with people who are not doing the job that they represent they are going to do. We've decided to not pay those people, I mean specifically, David Lord.

"We chose to shoot a movie in Las Vegas while we were there for the [January] show. We had rented a house. His part of the deal as the production manager and the one doing the deal with the actors was that he was going to work it out with talent so they could stay at the house [during the convention] and maybe they could shoot some scenes as payment. I have the budget he did with all zeroes for the talent.

"When we got back, it turned out that he hadn't done that. It cost us $10,000. If you represent you are going to do something and you don't, it's going to come out of your pocket.

"We were flustered. We were taken aback. We don't want to leave anybody hanging.

"I've been out of communication at times, going back and forth to Boston because my father's been in the hospital.

"We've never had any problems paying people. We've paid people on set on the day of the shoot. I've even gotten in my car to drive payments over to people.

"I've decided to take on all the directing (with a few exceptions). This is a diluted market with people bringing the least amount of quality that they can."

David Crawford Vs. American Hardcore

On Feb 15, I got IMs saying American Hardcore was going out of business and David (Lord) Crawford was going to sue them.

I called American Hardcore co-owner T.J. DiReda and published his views that David Crawford and a couple of other people had let him down. T.J. said AH was ramping up, not gearing down.

Friday afternoon, I got David on the phone.

Luke: "How are you?"

David: "I was good until I read that thing on your site. I'm going to kill this guy. This guy's an idiot.

"The people that should be blamed for this are Vic and T.J. (co-owners of American Hardcore). They screwed everyone. Today they finally made good on the $4100 they owed Joel Lawrence.

"This is the deal. We were going out to Vegas. They wanted me to PM (production manage) their show. TJ got the house. He wanted a couple of guys to stay there and do a couple of free scenes.

"On the set of Meat Puppets, a Martin Del Torro movie, TJ pulls the guys aside and, I thought, cut the deal with them. TJ looks at me and says, 'Hey Dave, give them the information for Vegas.'

"I'm thinking, address and call time. Not setting up the deal. He's the owner of the company. He can set up whatever deal he wants with them.

"Two days before we go to Vegas, I say to him, 'TJ, did you tell the guys they were going to be doing free scenes?' He said, 'No, I thought you were going to do that.'

"I talk to Van Damage and Justin Magnum and they both can't do it. They both need the money. They're not going to Vegas for fun and games. They need to earn.

"I talk to Vic (co-owner of AH). He says fine.

"We go to Vegas. Justin says, 'Dude, I really need this money for my rent. When we get back from Vegas, you'll pay us.'

"TJ's nowhere to be found. Finally, I get a hold of TJ and say, 'This guy needs to be paid. Can I give this guy a personal check and you guys will reimburse me?' TJ says, 'Yeah, no problem.' They reimburse me for that check. That check bounces.

"This $10,000 difference figure is bull. It's a $2,000 difference (for two scenes from Van Damage and two scenes from Justin). They haven't even paid on that. We went out there to shoot four scenes and we did.

"They gave me a $2,600 check, which was my money ($1,400) and a reimbursement of the $1,200. They didn't just bounce it. They stopped payment on it.

"They haven't paid the photographer Chad, who just got burnt by Vertigo and has to collect unemployment. They haven't paid Van Damage."

TJ: "Van Damage is owed money. We have a check for him at our office. Chad's been paid. Everyone's been paid but David."

David: "TJ calls me. 'Bro, I'm not going to dick you. Don't worry about it.'

"I've had a confident relationship with TJ. I know everything about their company. He's opened up the books to me. That company is operating at a loss. I told him, 'Dude, you're going to be out of business in three months if you keep operating like this.'"

TJ says Vic is going nowhere. That neither he nor Vic have taken any money out of the company except their salaries.

TJ DiReda writes:

We are not in any way close to going out of business, in fact the main issue for us (which we never anticipated) is that the product is being so well received that we need to expand and make more movies to satisfy the requests for more titles. This is and has been the only problem for American hardcore. We do not have the ability as a new company to start releasing 4 titles when our first release went out in September, and we have only put out 7 movies. We have been restructuring based on the need for growth, and I did discuss with David what his thoughts were and what we should do. The result was the decision to go to 3 titles a month and be comfortable.

Incidentally, Vic and I do not handle our books, so it's a false statement that I shared sensitive information with anyone least of all someone working for us. The only book that is being read here is by David Craw ford and its a fictional tale about a guy who has been fired by five companies in a row and decides to be bitter and bad mouth everyone.

David Lord's Titty Babies, Martin Del Toro's Meat Puppets and Tommy Joe's Slut Machines out this month.

David: "That's why I was shocked when TJ threw me under the bus [on lukeisback because David understood from his friendship with TJ that AH's financial problems were Vic's fault as well as TJ's].

"I felt so bad for Joel because I hired his people. I felt responsible."

Luke: "Are you going to sue American Hardcore?"

David: "Yes. The sad thing is that these guys are friends of mine. They didn't understand cash flow. They received a lot of money from their investors. They weren't able to make that money profitable."

TJ says the following paragraph is false.

David: "I can't deal with them not taking responsibility for their own bad business decisions. They burned Daniel at Dimension for $11,000. They gave him a check to get the product and then stopped payment on the check."

TJ: "Vic is friends with Daniel. We decided to pull our business from Dimension. They're great guys but there have been too many mistakes. We definitely do not owe money.

"Dimension requested that they not have to work with David."

David: "Leslie, a friend of mine who rented me a house in December, got a bum check for $500. Del Torro, they've been screwing him around."

TJ: "Absolutely not true. We just took the lease over on that house. We have some tension with Del Torro. We were upset that he decided to direct for Red Light District. We had talked to him ten minutes before the press release of his went up on AVN and he did not mention it. We had been strong supporters of his. He's our friend. He's owed no money by American Hardcore.

"The problems between us and David occurred because I would not take calls when I was in Boston looking after my father, 77, who's in the hospital with congenital heart failure. It frustrated them when I was not calling them back right away."

David Crawford responds to TJ DiReda:

Any and all of this can be verified. I have e-mails , letters, budgets, and those lovely rubber checks to prove it. All of it is truth.

On Del Toro: In the last 2 months how many checks did you bounce to him? You bounce checks to all your friends? Again Bullshit. As for the lease.... He is moving and he said put up or get out. He went to Red Light cuz their was nothing but bullshit coming from your company. That is the truth and thank god you finally paid him. You being such a standup guy. I am glad for him. I really do like Del Toro. He is a really good guy. I am glad to have met him and become friends.

You did bounce the check to Leslie (house rental for titty babies). Shall we call her?

Chad - Thank god! I told you, you were really f---ing that guy. He had to collect EDD between you and Vertigo and almost had to go back home with is tail between his legs, broke. A month ya made that kid wait how long without a word or $$$ from either one of you. Pretty stand up.

Daniel at Dimension: WRONG! Again put up or shut up. Let’s call. They didn't say that about me , I set you guys up fool and you do owe him. I have done more business with him over the past 10 years if ya count Rob , then you will ever see in this industry. Mistakes were made on your part too on that deal. A deduction on an invoice maybe, but just to burn them for every invoice ...... not cool. But hey I got an idea write hot checks to people when you can't afford stuff....... SHADY!

Don't use your dad ( I even talked you through a lot of that as a friend. You are amazing), don't use me, and in those last phone calls when you where thowing Vic under the bus, don't use him. Take ownership of your mistakes and quit blaming everyone else. I told ya when we got back from Vegas. KEEP MY MONEY!!!!. You said no I would never not pay you or anyone. I ain't that type of guy, I am a stand up guy. I am gonna pay ya bro.You even cut me checks. Yea you know the kind. The rubber kind. I said over and over to you please just pay the talent and everyone else. You didn’t cuz you were with your dad; cool where is your partner at? Why can't he write checks...Ding ding ding. I know cuz he wrote to many to himself. Well that is at least what you said happened. Bottom-line just not calling anyone for over a month is bull shit. You got a months worth of money in and now you are paying people. GREAT!!!!!!! PAY THEM!!!!! Everyone involved knows the truth. I called people back, I made some sort of effort, not you. If everyone gets paid I thank the porn gods above that yet another porn company didn't burn a bunch of hard working people.....and TJ that is what ya did. Don't ever accuse me of not stepping up.. or doing the right thing. Don’t ever question my honor.....ever! I won't be your patsy. You can make up whatever stories you want. See the thing is, I can prove everything I say. Can you TJ? You are great at the spin. You are a great flim flam man. But do not think for a minute I am gonna sit and take your bullshit. So go online as other handles and talk shit, claim you put billboards up on sunset that never happened, just don't drag my name into it. You got money ....great ...pay everyone and get back to business. And leave my name out of it. $2600 to be done with you. The best $2600 I could have ever spent you stand up guy you. Ohhh and if the real owners ever want to speak to me tell them I would be more then happy to meet with them and fill them in on the truth about things. I think they are probably the true victims in all this. 500k and six months, broke, hurting for more money and already you are what you always said you hate. Another shady porn company/guy that f---s people over and writes bad checks. TJ that ain't my fault that is all you and Vic. Do what ya want , just keep my f---ing name out of it.

T.J. DiReda replies:

It was a big mistake to respond to any of this but i felt that I needed to address David's alledged law suit and the pointless rumors he is starting out of spite. It was never my intention to throw any one under the bus. If there was any credibility or truth in the negative references with regard to how I run my company I would be as angry and volitile as David and I'm certain that no one wants that to happen.

The truth is.... in porno there is no truth and the only bit of credibility one can hope to get will come from time and endurance. At the end of the day if David is telling the truth in all that he has said about American Hardcore then i guess the real question is why would he waste so much energy on a company thats doomed and more importanly why bother to sue? I mean you can't get blood from a stone right? So I guess then my new take is " David I'm sorry we are about to fold the company and we have no money to pay you" "my bad."

David "Lord" Crawford

I got this email from popgirl:

I happened to work with david crawford when he was a Wicked and I can tell you that not only did he get fired because he was uncontrollable but he also took sensitive information from Wicked and shared it with other people. it is my understanding that he has done that everywhere he has worked, including his dismissal from Evil Angel. Steve O is a loyal and great guy so for him to fire you, something has to seriously be wrong.

I asked David about this. He replies:

I do agree with Steve o part , he is a great guy. But as the spreading of information. Naw... not true. I got fired from Wicked cuz I was out of line. There was a blow up and someone other then Steve O fired me. I mean bottom-line it is his company and if he didn't want it to happen he could have stopped it. But I was accused of lieing and I freaked out." Don't call me a liar how dare you", blah blah blah. Made a big stink. I in fact quit, but stayed another three days to then get fired. Since then I have taken steps to tone down a bit and really take a look at a situation for what it is. Like the American Hardcore thing. Years ago i would have been crazy, I mean really let it affect me.. But now, I try and make a bad situation and make it better. Did I get screwed...yea...but I'll live.

All in all Steve can't be too mad at me . I just got done shooting 5 days BTS for them. I love Steve and Wicked. The evil thing is stupid as well. I didn't get along with some people there . yea sure. I think that happens everywhere. Ya can't be everyones buddy. Sometimes people are doomed not to get along. But as far as infomation being "leaked" There was no info to leak. I gave it 110% at Evil, did some great work and learned alot from John and all of the directors over there, and for that matter made some really good friends that I miss dearly.

Oh and if you get and e-mail that says i drink, and smoke pot and like girls, by the truck load. It's all true. i was raised poor white trash and my mom is a single mom that drank. I am flawed like anyone else, Have I made mistakes.......for sure, but I am learning and growing as a person, I think that comes with age. The mistakes I made at 20 are not those I made a 30 and so on and I think for the most part i am a good guy. One of the honnorable people you will meet in this industry. Can the same be said for the author of that letter? Whomever it maybe. DOM DOM DOM!