Chicago Record Label Kicks Out CEO Accused Of Secretly Filming Nude Nanny And Her Friend

A record label in Chicago announced that it has fired its co-founder from the position of CEO and president amid accusations that the CEO and his wife set up hidden cameras in their residence to film their children's nanny while she was undressing and taking a bath, as well as her friend who accompanied her at one point for house-sitting.

In a statement posted on Twitter, record label Audiotree said co-founder Michael Johnston has been removed from his position over the weekend and has been replaced by COO and co-founder Adam Thurston. The announcement came following the emergence of a lawsuit alleging that Johnston and his wife, Kelly Halverson, secretly filmed their nanny while she was undressed.

As first reported by NBC-owned WMAQ-TV, the civil suit was filed by two young women only identified as Jane Doe and Julie Doe. Loftus & Eisenberg law firm’s Gail Eisenberg, who represents the victims, revealed that Jane Doe was hired in 2019 by the couple, and on the second week of her employment, she was tasked to organize boxes in the couple’s bedroom closets wherein the nanny found one box filled with sex toys. Court records revealed that another box carried sexual paraphernalia.

In January 2020, Julie accompanied Jane to house-sit for the couple while the Johnstons were on vacation. The civil suit stated that Halverson “encouraged Julie and Jane to use the Jacuzzi bathtub in the master bathroom and to “help themselves to the Johnstons’ wine and beer while they were away.”

The suit further alleged that the couple installed cameras, made to look like ordinary objects, in the bathroom and other private spaces in their residence to film Jane and Julie while they undressed and bathed.

In February last year, Jane alleged that she was about to undress while house-sitting for the couple overnight when she found a hidden camera aimed at the bathtub. The camera was allegedly disguised as a picture frame. The lawsuit added that video footage shows Johnston, who is also the owner of Lincoln Hall and Schubas Tavern, moving a camera to film a bathtub in the master bedroom.

“My life is forever changed because of what they did to me … I hope that by speaking out about this I can empower other survivors to do the same,” Jane Doe said in a statement to the outlet.

The lawsuit also stated that the complainants “bring this action not only to regain their power, but to deter would-be voyeurs and highlight the psychological damage cause by such abuse,” the Chicago Tribune reported.

Halverson has not been charged but Johnston, who is out on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond, appeared in bond court on Nov. 10 for a felony charge of making an unauthorized recording in a bathroom. He is scheduled for another court appearance Wednesday.