James Grdina said that Jameson and the ex, Jay Grdina, were supposed to pay back $250,000 he loaned them prior to Playboy Enterprises’ $17.6 million ClubJenna acquisition specifically for the magazine purchase.
James Grdina said he loaned the pair "as a partner contribution" to acquire Penthouse after it was put up for sale in 2003. But the deal never went through, and James Grdina says he was repaid only $125,000.
Care Concepts, at the time, became the winning bidder for Penthouse. The media company is now a part of Friendfinder Networks.
The suit, filed at Maricopa County Court, said that the loan was supposed to be paid back to James Grdina, who also said he loaned the couple and ClubJenna another $275,000 in 2006 and never got it back.
In addition, James Grdina claimed in a suit that he was a partner in ClubJenna and was entitled to income from the company when it was sold, but he didn't get it.
He claimed that federal tax forms reported him as earning $227,822 from Club Jenna and he incurred tax liabilities of $111,405 for it.
James Grdina also said that Jameson and Jay Grdina bought customized Jacob & Co. watches as gifts for employees, and for themselves, but never reimbursed him for the purchases. The watches included ClubJenna monograms with the employees’ names.
“Defendants failed to pay amounts due and owing on this obligation even after James Grdina made repeated demands and received back repeated assurances of payment,” the suit said.
Also named as defendants are Dolce Amore, CJ Inc. and Evolution Media Group.