Hotshot Paramount movie exec Daniele “Dani” Bernfeld (above) has been named as the woman who, according to witnesses, got into a physical fight with Emile Hirsch. The two apparently brawled at the Tao Nightclub in Park City, Colorado, amid the Sundance Film Festival on January 25.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Hirsch Is Accused of Putting Her in a Headlock
Hirsch pictured with Lenny Kravitz’s daughter, Zoe, on the night of the fight. (Getty)
The incident is being investigated by police, reports Page Six. The gossip page says that Hirsch had been “aggressively picking on Dani.” The fight broke out around 3:30 a.m. A source told the New York Post, “[Hirsch] got even more aggressive and aggro. He pushed Dani up against a table, and then put her in a headlock.”
Hirsh’s booking photo. (Getty)
A separate source alleged that Hirsch attempted to choke her and “attacked her from behind.” The Park City police had earlier told Variety, “Currently, this is an active case that we’re still investigating. We’ll be submitting the case to the Summit County Attorney’s Office for screening as soon as we complete the investigation.” Hirsch was questioned at the scene until 5 a.m. but was then let go. On August 17, 2015, Hirsh pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to 15 days in jail, a $4,750 fine and 50 hours of community service, reports TMZ. He’s also been in rehab since the assault. If he completes all of his sentencing, the charges will all be dismissed.
2. She Was Named as One of the Top Execs in Hollywood
In November 2014, the Hollywood Reporter named Dani as one of the movie industry’s top execs, you can watch a short interview with Bernfeld above. The feature said she is the vice president of digital entertainment and Insurge Pictures at Paramount. In 2010, Variety noted that Dani was Insurge’s only full-time employee. Insurge is Paramount’s indie-movie wing, the division was launched in 2010. An anonymous comment on a 2013 Deadline piece about Insurge declared “Dani Bernfeld is everything.” Another commenter agreed with that sentiment. In 2011, Insurge made its mark in the industry by producing the less-than-indie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.
3. She Was a Soccer Prodigy in High School
The illustrious Hunter High School in Manhattan where Bernfeld was a student. (Wikipedia)
According to her LinkedIn page, Dani graduated from Vassar College in New York. She was in the class of 2005. She graduated alongside foodie chef and Oprah favorite, Jason Schreiber. During her high school years, she was a soccer prodigy at Hunter High School, an institution for gifted students on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
4. She’s at the Forefront of Digital-First Television
(Getty)
She’s at the forefront of digital first entertainment for Paramount. She help to craft the Science Fiction series Chop Shop, starring Robert Patrick, which debuted on streaming site, Machinima. She said of that show, “Our creative team has crafted a remarkable series for the digital space and Machinima is the perfect home for the show.” In addition, she was also one of the forces behind spoof show, The Hotwives of Orlando, which is Hulu-only. With that show, Bernfeld delivered the party-line with, “the entire cast have tapped into the cultural zeitgeist and turned a phenomenon on its side. Hulu’s commitment to delivering fun, enjoyable and easily accessible content makes it an ideal home for this new original series and we’re thrilled to be partnering with them.”
5. Hirsch’s Sundance Movie Is Predicted to Bomb
Hirsch was at Sundance to promote his movie Ten Thousand Saints. Based on the showing at Sundance, Variety predicts the movie won’t make much money. You can watch Hirsch and his co-stars talk about the movie above.
