“…Papers released to the Herald on Sunday under the Official Information Act claim celebrity agent David Steele asked for the payment to stop King “going dog” and speaking out against the pork industry.
The claim was allegedly made in a conversation between Steele and NZ Pork marketing manager Hadleigh Smith in February last year.
Three months later King sensationally fronted a documentary exposing cruel pig farming practices.
The papers also revealed King received almost $550,000 during a six-year commercial relationship with the industry board.
Smith said: “I remember the conversation quite clearly – some severance pay would be a good way to stop Mike going ‘dog’, help prevent him from going ‘feral’.
$50,000 was a good number, he indicated.”
Steele’s request is also noted in records from a NZ Pork committee meeting in February.
Yesterday Steele described that version of events as “an absolute crock of s***.”
He did not categorically deny using the words “dog” or “feral” in conversations with NZ Pork…”
go to source/sory>>>King’s agent ‘sought $50,000′ – Business – NZ Herald News
