#jeff azoff

[The post contains references to information covered in the previous one*, so I recommend reading it to get a clearer picture]

Harry's manager who looks more like a jailer than a babysitter. He is always present at his side, on public or "private" occasions, spreading the idea that the two are linked by a relationship of deep friendship rather than professional. But is it really like this? Or is it a subtle ploy to keep the star tied down?

Family photo of Harry with the Azoff clan

Jeff, born in 1982, the eldest son of Irving and Shelli Azoff, began his career at his father's Front Line Management, where he worked for five years before moving, in 2012, to CAA, one of the biggest management agencies, which allows him to significantly expand his network of useful relationships. It's noteworthy that the CAA's reputation isn't exactly spotless. It has been accused of blacklisting anyone who did or said things contrary to the agency's wishes, and, even more seriously, it was implicated in the cover-up of the Weinstein scandal, for which it was suspected of procuring actresses. Azoff left CAA in 2016 to found Full Stop Management, taking with him Tommy Bruce, who is still a key figure in managing Harry. Actresses Olivia Wilde and Zoë Kravitz are both represented by CAA, and listed as Harry Styles' former and current relationships. Don't Worry Darling, the film directed by Wilde with Harry in the lead role, was produced and distributed by New Line Cinema, a subsidiary of Warner Bros, with whose management the Giant Company founded by Irving Azoff collaborates closely. For the few who don't know, Zoë is the daughter of rock star Lenny Kravitz, who was represented by Howard Kaufman, Azoff's longtime partner at Front Line, from his beginning until the manager's passing.

There is no official confirmation but more than one rumour claims that Azoff Sr, through his companies that manage arenas and venues, has also established solid business relationships in the fashion sector, for example by managing the locations of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Since the beginning of the friendship/collaboration between Jeffrey and Harry Styles, the singer has been attributed numerous flirtations or relationships with models linked to the Victoria's Secret brand, never directly confirmed by Harry (with one exception). Furthermore, the Azoff Company also owns DBA, a management company for influencers, digital creatives and fashion bloggers, carrying out partnerships with famous brands.

The previously mentioned relationship with the Azoff family friend, Kendall Jenner*, is joined by a very brief one with Nadine Leopold* and a more trumpeted one with Camille Rowe*, the only one vaguely confirmed by Harry during an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music to promote the album Fine Line. More flirtation rumors with models Georgia Fowler, Sara Sampaio, Candice Swanepoel and Cara Delevingne. In 2020, through his personal stylist Harry Lambert, begins the friendly collaboration with Jonathan Anderson, creative head of the luxury brand Loewe. Shortly after, the fleeting encounter, complete with a kiss in a Tokyo parking lot, with Emily Ratajkowski, a model linked to the brand, and above all, yet another relationship, with the actress Taylor Russell*, brand ambassador for Loewe, exploded in the tabloids. (*links to related posts)

The current wife of Jeffrey is Glenne Christiaansen Azoff. She began dating Jeff between 2014 and 2015, became officially engaged in 2020, and then married in January 2021, in a ceremony at a California ranch, so "private" that photos of Harry as a guest/best man/officiant were suddenly splashed across all the tabloids. The event served as a public hard launch for Harry and Olivia Wilde's* rising (stunt) relationship. Glenne worked for Snap Inc., a big technology company, from 2015 to 2018 as global head of music partnerships. She was later hired by Apple Music to manage relations with the artists, then becoming head of artist services. We recall that it was to Apple Music that Harry gave the interview in which he confirmed his relationship, already over, with the model Camille Rowe, during the promotion of the album Fine Line in 2019, which everyone indicated was dedicated to the model. Perhaps not everyone knows that Zane Lowe, the author of the interview and a well-known DJ, had just signed with Full Stop Management at the time. He later had the privilege of conducting the launch interviews for Harry's next two albums.

Harry interviewed by Zane Lowe for Apple Music in 2019

Even the locations or events that over the years have been the scene of Harry's celebrated public appearances in the company of whoever was indicated as his girlfriend of the moment were closely linked to the Azoff universe. In addition to the clubs and restaurants in Malibu and Los Angeles owned by Gerber, a friend and business partner of the Azoffs, where he was often photographed in "sweet company", which usually included Jeff, almost every (stunt) relationship was marked by the "happy couple's" participation in a major Azoff-branded event.

In January 2014, Harry attended the Eagles show in Los Angeles with Kendall Jenner, who was listed as his date at the time, and other Kardashians. In the following years, he attended an Eagles show on two more occasions, in September 2018 in Los Angeles with the Crawford-Gerber family and in June 2019 in London with Niall Horan (periods in which he was officially single).

The Azoff artist with whom Harry has formed the deepest bonds is definitely Stevie Nicks. Rumour has it that Harry and Stevie first met after a Fleetwood Mac concert in London in May 2015, when young Harry brought the singer a carrot cake for her birthday. In July 2017, Fleetwood Mac's show in New York was the scene of the launch of the (stunt) relationship between Harry and model Camille Rowe. In the following years there were other public meetings, especially with Nicks, performances together, notable the introduction of Stevie Nicks into the Rock'n'roll Hall of Fame by Harry in 2019. I have no doubt that Harry is a genuine fan of the band and Stevie in particular but fate has been truly benevolent in ensuring that his heroine is represented and a long-time friend of his friendly manager's father.

One of the latest was U2's event show at the Sphere in Las Vegas in November 2023, which Harry publicly attended in the company of actress Taylor Russell, indicated at the time as his partner. Two birds with one stone, in this case. U2 were one of the most recent high-profile signings on the Full Stop Management roster and the venue is owned by MSG Company.

Harry performing at Coachella Festival in 2022

Also very interesting is the connection between Harry, Azoff and the Coachella Festival. The singer performed at the Festival in two shows on April 15 and 22, 2022, in the presence in the audience of actress Olivia Wilde, with whom he was involved in a highly publicized relationship at the time. The couple was also promptly photographed in those days attending Billie Eilish's performance at the festival. It is worth knowing that Azoff was one of the main investors and financiers of the Festival in its early days, when the organizers of the event were struggling financially, and he owns a property very close to where the Festival is held in Indio, California. Furthermore, Full Stop Management collaborates closely with the Festival by negotiating bookings and participations of leading artists. And finally, Oak View Group has actively contributed to building and expanding venues and infrastructure in the Coachella Valley, supporting the economy of the Festival itself.

It could therefore be assumed that the Azoffs understandably use the means at their disposal to promote Harry's work and, at the same time, use Harry, (stunt) relationships included, to promote their events and venues. In any case, it seems like there is anything that isn't planned to perfection.

Harry's hands for the launch of the Pleasing brand

The Azoffs' influence is easily visible in Harry's collateral economic activities too. Erskine Records, record label founded by Harry in 2016, just before signing with Columbia Records (under Rob Stringer's Sony Music), of which Harry is the owner and his assistant longtime Emma Spring is co-director, collaborates, or perhaps is managed by Giant Records, independent label division of The Azoff Company, and it was probably the Azoffs themselves who supported the opening of the label to accelerate Harry's independence from the previous record management. Pleasing is the primarily e-commerce cosmetics and lifestyle brand launched by Harry in November 2021, along with Harry Lambert and Emma Spring. Musician Mike Fleetwood and stylist Jonathan Anderson collaborated on the brand. Public reports suggest that Jeff holds a stake in the company alongside Harry. In reality, the trademark was registered by Emptyleg LP, the original corporate entity and holding company, owned by Jeff Azoff. Azoff later merged the trademarks and registrations into Pleasing, which was later renamed The Pleasing Company LP. Obviously these activities constitute an important economic income for Harry but they are still strictly linked to the Azoffs.

Even Harry's most publicized personal friendships show a connection to the Azoffs. This is the case of Xander Ritz*, a former lacrosse player with whom Harry was seen almost constantly between 2015 and 2016, before gradually decreasing their contact although they still remain "friends". It's known that it was Jeff Azoff who introduced the two in 2014, although it's not known how Ritz and the manager met. Since then, as mentioned, Ritz has been a regular public presence for years, along with his brother Maxwell and Jeff, at Harry's shows, dinners, parties and holidays. In 2016, the Ritz brothers founded The Loyalist, a platform that develops and manages e-commerce for brands, including Pleasing.

An honorable mention goes to Harry's fifteen-year friendship with British actor and TV presenter James Corden. History tells us that their friendship dates back to the period immediately after X Factor when the actor, who had briefly met Louis' mother years before, took on the task of looking after the boys as an older brother. The friendship with the boys continued throughout the years of the band and, especially with Harry, it still exists today and seems sincere. But Corden has also developed a close friendship with Jeff Azoff, and has participated in celebratory events in honor of Irving Azoff. CBS, the network that has broadcast his Late Late Show in the US since 2015, also has several ties with Azoff, especially in using his management network to create entertainment programs. Furthermore, the British PR agency Dawbell, which handles both Corden and Harry in the UK, works closely with Full Stop Management.

Harry with James Corden and Ben Winston on set of Late Late Show

And directly connected to Corden is the figure of Ben Winston, another long-time friend of Harry. The son of a prominent British scientist and Orthodox Jewish aristocrat, Winston is an influential TV producer and director in the UK and US. He has worked with One Direction since their inception, producing the band's documentaries and shows and later for solo Harry, with whom he has always declared himself a super close friend. He has been a personal friend of Corden since well before the 1D period and has produced all of the actor's shows, and Corden is also a partner in his production company, Fulwell 73. Finally, he produced the latest Seven seasons of the Kardashian reality show.

All of them, whether they are true friends or just pretended ones, are in any case a fundamental part of the group of people who support Harry publicly and who in some way, collaborating with the Azoff strategies, contribute to building or influencing his public image.

Louis&Harry in their happy fetus era

Azoff's conditioning over Harry involves, to a degree we can only assume, Louis Tomlinson as well. Louis has been under the direct and indirect control of Simon Cowell and Syco/Modest for a long time. Now, since 2021, he has been signed to BMG (Bmg Rights Management), a music company born out of a joint venture with Sony, which still handles its distribution in many countries, and which has collaborated closely with Azoff's Giant Records since the 90s. Lenny Kravitz (yes, him again!) is also a BMG artist.

Probably even more surprising are the connections between Azoff and Louis's pseudo-romantic life. Briana Jungwirth, the woman who is publicly acknowledged as the mother of Louis's son (won't go into the merits but the story is rather controversial and unpleasant), grew up in Calabasas, the Kardashians' main place of residence and the set of their reality shows, where her family still resides, gravitating toward the gilded world of popular reality TV stars. In fact, in 2020, she herself had a brief relationship with Brody Jenner, son of Bruce and half-brother of the Jenner sisters, who is also very active in reality shows. Is it necessary to remind how close the bond between the Azoffs and the Kardashians is? Even Louis' current (stunt) relationship bears a consistent trace of connection to Azoff. One of Harry's closest contacts at Full Stop Management, along with Jeff and Tommy Bruce, is manager Tom Skoglund, in whose company Harry has often been photographed over the years even on "private" occasions such as group holidays with friends. Skoglund is a close friend and confidant of Jade Bell, a model and stuntwoman, who is listed as one of Zara McDermott's best friends, British influencer and television personality who is publicly known as Louis's "girlfriend".

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Summing up, what can we deduce? That Harry, and consequently Louis, are not simply bound by restrictive contracts. They are trapped within a secure pyramid structure headed by father and son Azoff. A pyramid carefully constructed over decades, formed by business, power, friendships and family relationships. The artist is a "tool" that allows for increased prestige and economic power. He must be nurtured and protected to the extent that he remains profitable, also using control and manipulation when necessary. And it's absolutely unacceptable that one of these "tools", however valuable he may be, becomes dangerous to the stability of the pyramid.

rant incoming, strap in folks.

ive seen a shocking amount of longtime larries lately downplaying the severity of harry and louis' situations, acting as though their signals and codes are "coincidences," and pushing the idea that harry and louis have full control over their PR moves when that has never once been the case in the past 15 goddamn years. and its not just disappointing, its frustrating. where has everyone's critical thinking gone? what changed?

you all talk about how much holivia damaged harry's public image and compare holivia to mcdumblinson, but then in the same breath act like louis is choosing to stunt with zara. is the cognitive dissonance that thick? or are you all now suggesting harry willingly participated in holivia? both of those potential options concern me, frankly.

we can all agree zara is actively damaging louis' public image, right? so, why on earth would louis be stunting with her of his own free will? are you suggesting he's that stupid? because hes not. louis is incredibly intelligent and to pretend hes stupid enough to continue pushing this stunt when its clearly not helping him is insulting.

but i know what question will be begged: "they're multi-millionaires! they're grown men now! dont you think they have the money and freedom now to do what they want?" if that was the case, there wouldnt be anymore stunting. ever. money does not equate to freedom, nor does age. has everyone suddenly forgotten the kinds of contracts these men are under? the professionals they are stuck working for?

in terms of pure financials, yes, they probably could buy out of their contracts. and where would that leave them? blacklisted from the biggest companies in the industry, smeared in retaliation by the media those companies own, and honestly? their lives could be at stake. think of how many incredibly famous artists have died for political reasons or because they challenged the agencies that own them. this isnt to fearmonger, this is to bring up PRECEDENT. precedent you all seem to have willfully forgotten.

but even on top of all that, are we forgetting that these boys have been groomed since they were 16-18? jeff azoff has been scouting harry since 2013, and hes only one example of the terrible people these men have been surrounded by since they were teenagers. harry and louis have never escaped sony. when they respectively escaped syco, they both signed to other labels sony owns. harry has been signed to columbia (and the azoffs) since 2016, and louis has been signed to his companies and labels since 2020 when syco music dissolved. which makes me beg my own question- what the fuck do you all think has changed? in the past 5-9 years (respectively) what do you posit has changed to give harry and louis this freedom youre all claiming they have? theyre still closeted. theyre still being forced to stunt. theyre still being forced to surround themselves with shitty people.

louis looks beyond uncomfortable in every photo with zara. he is clearly not doing this willingly. harry is a genuinely good person, hes not willingly hanging around the likes of KID HARPOON, who GROPED HIM AT THE 2023 GRAMMYS. or did we all forget that? i think we did. zara is from love island, a show louis HATES. shes the type of person he never associates with normally. the azoffs are RIFE with controversy that could make its own fucking masterpost. if you think our harry and louis, two very smart, very kind, very intentional men, are WILLINGLY surrounding themselves with these types of people, you are biting the media koolaid and HELPING THE PROPAGANDA SPREAD.

AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT, i want to REITERATE that these two men have been lied to and coerced and groomed since they were teens. that means, in case none of you have ever been in abusive dynamics with authority, that they likely dont know all of their escape options. firstly, their options for escape are few and far between, and at absolute BEST would end their careers and turn them into GP punching bags because of the smear campaigns that would follow any pushback or contract buyouts. secondly, the professionals and lawyers theyve been surrounded with for the past 15 years are all cogs in the industry music machine. even back on TXF we know their lawyers were paid off by syco to push them in the desired direction with what they signed. that was just one reality tv show, and its a microcosm of the industry at large. not only do they have limited options, they dont even know what all of those options are. its not like their abusive managements are gonna tell them how to leave. thats not how this works.

but again, even if they had access to all of their options, even if they had access to unbiased legal advisors, even if they wanted to end their careers- they wouldnt escape without being hurt in some major way. im not talking out of my ass here. look at other cases of major celebrities who have left their labels or publically denounced the industry. look into major artists who have mysteriously died. hell, look into the p. diddy case and the people he put hits out on. open your fucking eyes and look at the precedent you older fans were AROUND FOR. i wasnt even HERE, and i can see it.

my last point is anecdotal, but stick with me here. when you are a victim of an abusive authority figure- in HL's case, the entire industry full of abusive CEOs and managers- for as long as they have (15 years, mind), it becomes less scary to stick to whats familiar. they know its bad, they clearly hate stunting and being closeted, but its a familiar fire to burn in. i know that feeling. i spent 17 years under an abusive authority figure and during the brief windows where i thought i could feasibly get out, i was too scared and far too conditioned to try. taking a stab at HL, id guess this is where theyre at. maybe they could, in some lucky way if everything were to align, escape and minimize the harm they suffer from it. but theyve been conditioned against trying, conditioned against believing in that possibility, and conditioned to go along with what theyre told.

so again i ask, what do you all think changed? why do you think harry and louis are suddenly free to do as they please, after all these years, when theyre still signed to the same companies and still showing signs of distress? when theyre still coding their clothes as a subtle cry for help- which, by the way, never stopped. why on earth did everyone up and decide they stopped coding their clothing? because 1 popular larrie blog said it, and the rest of you parroted it like gospel? was a real reason ever given for that spontainious conclusion, or are you all just reverting back to the comfort of willful ignorance and slurping up the media slop?

nothing has changed with their situations. a lot of you just seem to have stopped fighting for them. its easier to be complacent, to only care about when new music is coming, to not worry about harry and louis as people. to not worry about supporting them and making sure they know that some of us pay attention and know their truth. some of you are losing those tenents, and its upsetting to watch as a newer larrie who has all the conviction in the world to fight for these boys and show them that they are supported.

the attitude ive seen from some of the older larries on here lately is akin to what id expect from the GP, or solos, but not larries. you are all smarter than this and you damn well know it. the downplaying and disregarding of things like louis' plead for our support, the coded clothing, the subtle hints that theyre still being controlled, is actively helping their managers and PR teams sell narratives like mcdumblinson. through your complacency, saying everything is "just a coincidence" or "the boys' choice," you are aiding the enemy in their pursuit.

Also, do you think he is leaving Columbia/Sony? There's no announcement of a renewal, but he was seen with Strnger last year. They seem to get along.

Hi, Anon!

Before I answer, I just wanna say that I’m still not as well-versed as others when it comes to contracts, so my points are based on what’s been discussed so far and what I personally agree with.

I don't know for sure, but I do think it’s kinda sus that H's name keeps popping up and being falsely used—twice already this year, with both FireAid and The Sphere (like Gina @twopoppies mentioned recently).

And another curious thing would be a certain discussion brought up in a group chat I am included in, and it was right after The Sphere denial news broke out. It was pointed out that in Variety500's update last December 18, 2024, neither Jeff Az*ff nor Irving Az*ff's profile mentioned H, and vice versa. That made me curious, though I wasn't able to pay attention much because of all the content we've gotten for the past week at least lol

Anyway, I started digging tonight after I saw your anon message (I wanted to collect my thoughts as much as possible and be coherent despite knowing little), to see if maybe they never really mentioned each other in past updates anyway—and maybe, it really doesn't mean anything.

Here's a breakdown of what I found (focusing on H and Jeff):

Harry — 2022, 2023, and 2024 Variety500 Honoree

I couldn't find H's 2023 profile, but his both 2022 and 2024, no label/management were mentioned.

Jeff — 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 Variety500 Honoree

For Jeff, H was mentioned in 2021 (his roster of music stars including H), 2022 (H's MSG permanent banner), and 2023 (speculations of his 'flagship artist' - H - possibly doing a residency at The Sphere in the future, which popped up again this year).

I think what made it more curious is that in Jeff's 2024 profile, there was a part that says "Jeffrey Azoff works with many of the company’s artists, including Lizzo, the Eagles, John Mayer and Jon Bon Jovi and U2." It could just be because he wasn’t as active last year and wasn’t considered “mention-worthy” for the profile this time around? Not sure. Either way, I found it very curious because H’s influence and visibility remained strong, even while he was on a well-deserved break. I didn't want to think much of it at first, but the more I sat with it, the more interesting it seemed—again, very curious.

I was debating if this is worth mentioning at this point but maybe it's good to share it anyway to get other people's opinion? I also asked Paz @hoovesandfloorpaws about it since they've been building a career/business masterpost and might be able to provide insights. 🥹

It might be nothing tbh. But saving all of these here anyway! 😂

That's not counting this tour… he’s also besties with the CEO of Sony Entertainment (not Sony Music, not Columbia, Sony Entertainment) who’s much much more powerful than Irving. Harry had Jay Z trying to scout him and Tim Cook watching him front row. He’s close friends with SoHo House owners and was at the birthday party of one of the owners of the Hotel Fasano line just last week (Paula Bezerra de Mello).

I can’t tell if people underestimate Harry or overestimate Irving but Harry is an incredibly powerful individual with multiple incredibly powerful friends, and an insane influence and wealth. He made Jeff not the other way around.

Harry could hire his mom as his manager and be hyper successful. Just like Dua did with her dad and Taylor did with her mom. It’s this whole Larrie mindset that Harry is somehow a poor little baby who’s being handled by his horrible managers all powerful who have him hidden under a cupboard and give him a daily stipend.

Thanks!

Honestly I don’t like the idea of Jeff being the evil manager who forces Harry to do everything even though Harry doesn’t want to. I think they definitely had their differences especially with the whole Holivia disaster but I don’t think he’s forcing Harry to do something. Especially with Pleasing I think H did it because he wanted to. And Jeff has a lot of connections so why not do it together?

A lot of artists open their own brands with things they like, it’s nothing uncommon and I don’t see why Harry should be forced to do it if he gets money out of it too.

I also think it’s very interesting that when everyone online started saying that Harry doesn’t have anything to do with pleasing anymore and definitely not any creative input in the releases, a picture comes up showing him being involved in the creative process.

Firework Night.

masterlist || ask me anything <3

blurb masterlist is here!!

authors note - hi everyone. long time no see. 🙈 work has been cramping up all of my time so haven’t really had much time to write for all of you, but im back and hope that you all enjoy this little bit of fluff.

word count - 1.1k

in which, some school friends of harry’s is hosting a firework display round his house, and thought it would be nice to invite harry and the family, the wife is over the moon and the little one is awestruck.

“H, the fireworks are about to start, are the girls coming outside or not?”

Daniel, Harry’s friend from school, his kids were already seated on fold-up chairs on the lawn, bundled up in thick jackets and scarves, eyes turned eagerly to the sky. They looked wide-eyed and chattering with anticipation, the soft buzz of their excitement filling the crisp evening air.