Last year, Alanis Morissette filed a lawsuit against her former manger Jonathan Schwartz, claiming he’d stolen at least $4.7 million from her over a four-year period. Though they eventually settled out of court, Schwartz was convicted in January after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud and filing a false tax return.
Today, The Hollywood Reporter ran a guest column written by Schwartz, “Hollywood Business Manager: I Stole From Alanis Morissette and Other Clients and I’m Sorry,” in which Schwartz admits to embezzling $7 million from his clients and reveals a past gambling addiction that he claims fueled his thievery. “I let everybody down, and for that I will spend the rest of my life asking for forgiveness and making amends to everyone I have hurt,” writes Schwartz, who says he’s sober now. The letter is addressed “To My Community.”
Morissette, in turn, sent a response to THR:
I would be apprehensive to believe any words that come out of Jonathan Schwartz’s mouth.
Damn, nailed it with the terseness. Apology not accepted. That lifetime of apologizing Schwartz promised seems awfully miserable if it’s going to be filled with this kind of response.
Schwartz is set to be sentenced on May 3.