Warner Bros Discovery sued Amazon in California Superior Court on July 21, claiming the company has been inducing WBD staff under term contracts to walk out early, according to Deadline. Pia Barlow anchors the complaint, an HBO Max originals marketing executive whose deal ran through October 2027 and who surfaced this week as head of series marketing at Amazon MGM Studios, an appointment Amazon announced three days after the filing. WBD says it put Amazon on written notice about the contract before Barlow left. The complaint describes a second attempt weeks earlier on a WBD employee whose contract runs to December 2027, which failed, and reporting points to HBO programming executive Francesca Orsi. Claims include intentional interference, breach of contract, and unfair competition, with WBD seeking damages and an injunction. Amazon declined to comment.
