Marital mind games in a wealthy Greenwich, Conn., divorce have sparked business intrigue in the Big Apple.
A high-profile psychologist in the tony town who has appeared on CNN, CBS, and Fox News, allegedly bugged her now ex-husband’s room while he worked from home, then talked about getting a “big check” from the CEO of his Manhattan real estate company, according to court papers.
The alleged surreptitious recordings have prompted Brad Zackson’s company, Dynamic Star, and its CEO Gary Segal, to sue Judith Zackson in Manhattan Supreme Court, claiming Zackson engaged in “illegal eavesdropping” and misconduct by recording Brad’s business calls.
But Judith denied the allegations, calling them meritless.
Judith and Brad began living in separate rooms in their $4 million, six-bedroom, 7.5-bath, 6,727-square-foot Greenwich mansion in 2020, as their marriage began to break down.
Judith — an expert in anxiety, depression and attention deficit disorder who is worth more than $4.4 million — is accused of secretly hiding recording devices in Brad’s rooms in 2021 and 2022, and even placing one on his vehicle.
“Dr. Zackson cynically and secretly invaded Dynamic as a ploy in defense of a divorce action in Connecticut . . . in an attempt to extort money from Dynamic or Gary,” Dynamic claims in court papers.
Dynamic Star’s business deals include Fordham Landing in the University Heights section of The Bronx, a giant, $2.5 billion mixed-use development on the Harlem River.
Brad allegedly discovered one of the recorders in April 2022, when he noticed a flashing red light near the bathroom ceiling.
He filed for divorce the following month, records show.
Their split has yet to be finalized.
In a successful bid to have Judith pay his legal fees in their divorce, Brad Zackson claimed to be $9 million in debt, $5.7 million of which is owed to Segal, who gives him $40,000 a month, according to a Connecticut Superior Court document.
Brad maintained he’s not paid taxes since 2012, and the court noted in the document his claim that Segal also had financial difficulties — because Dynamic’s properties were “underwater, and they could not refinance the debt due to the market.”
Judith — who owns three limited liability companies and keeps $100,000 cash in a safe deposit box, according to court records — admitted to the espionage during the divorce proceedings, and even quipped that she hoped to get a “a big check from Uncle Gary,” Dynamic claimed.
“The scope of these transgressions is unknown. The number of recordings is unknown. The location of them is unknown. The disclosure or use of them is unknown,” according to the lawsuit.
She recorded calls between Brad, Dynamic’s co-founder and director of development, and other senior executives; attorneys; New York City officials, prospective investors and others, Dynamic said.
“Dr. Zackson has been spying on Brad for years which means that Dr. Zackson has been spying on [Dynamic] and its business affairs for years,” the filing claims.
Dynamic “seeks to remove the threat to its existence,” it said in the litigation, which demands all recordings be turned over.
“Damages alone will not protect Dynamic. The business and real estate projects are or likely will be valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, well beyond the ability of Dr. Zackson to answer in money damages. There is no way to calculate the damage that she can cause to interpersonal relationships and business opportunities,” Dynamic contended.
“Dynamic Star and Ms Zackson have no financial relationship. Dynamic Star is fighting an ongoing vindictive, ugly campaign being waged by an ex-wife of a principal. We are confident court will see the truth,” a company spokesman said.
Judith Zackson wants to “protect herself from her spouse,” according to her attorney.
In May 2022 Brad Zackson was caught with a firearm, despite a prior felony conviction making possession of the weapon illegal, according to Connecticut criminal records and a report.
He also twice violated an order of protection in 2022, leading to further arrests, Connecticut records show.
New York State records show Brad Zackson was convicted of robbery and criminal possession of a weapon in Nassau County in 1983.
“Mr. Zackson has repeatedly violated a restraining order issued because of his abusive and threatening behavior, leading to two additional arrests,” her attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, said in a statement.
A spokesman for Brad Zackson did not immediately respond to questions about the arrests.