Amazon Studios Accused of Blacklisting Vendor Who Refused to Pay Kickbacks

May 14, 2026 2:32pm PT Amazon Studios Accused of Blacklisting Vendor Who Refused to Pay Kickbacks

By Gene Maddaus

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Gene Maddaus

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@GeneMaddaus

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Amazon Studios has been sued by a post-production vendor who alleges he was blackballed after refusing to pay kickbacks to an Amazon employee.

Joe Eckardt, owner of Unbreakable Post, alleges he has been denied at least $1 million worth of work since refusing to participate in the scheme in 2023.

Eckardt has worked on “Temptation Island,” “Selling Sunset,” and many other reality shows. According to his complaint, he had lunch in July 2023 with Frank Salinas, the head of post-production at Amazon Studios’ unscripted division, who offered to make him one of the company’s “approved vendors” that would be eligible to bid on projects.

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