A Diamond District jeweler, known for his appearance in the Adam Sandler film "Uncut Gems," is accused of using his significant social media influence to systematically damage the life of a former employee and romantic partner. Maksud Agadjani, 38, allegedly subjected Melisa Kulla, 27, to a barrage of vulgar and threatening messages, and attempted to blacklist her from the industry after she rejected his marriage proposal.
According to a federal lawsuit, Agadjani, the founder and CEO of TraxNYC, unleashed a torrent of abusive texts and messages after Kulla declined his proposal two years after their breakup. The lawsuit claims Agadjani called Kulla a "stupid monkey brained b---h," "disgusting fucked up b---h," and an "Albanian Monkey," among other derogatory terms. He also allegedly made sexually demeaning remarks about her to former colleagues.
Kulla's suit details that Agadjani's actions have led to severe depression and suicidal thoughts. She asserts that Agadjani "intends to use every one of [his] resources to ensure that [she] cannot work, cannot succeed, and cannot escape him."
The alleged harassment began in September 2024 when Agadjani attempted to rekindle their relationship and aggressively kissed Kulla. The suit states he became increasingly agitated when she interacted with male clients, including comedian Pete Davidson, who had inquired about sourcing a watch. Agadjani reportedly accused Kulla of flirting, further escalating tensions.
Weeks later, Agadjani proposed marriage, which Kulla refused. This rejection triggered what the lawsuit describes as a deluge of lengthy, expletive-filled texts from Agadjani. One message, reportedly 300 words long, contained numerous insults, including "Nasty stupid b---h," "C--t," and "Stupid monkey brained b---h."
When Kulla expressed her distress and suggested moving forward professionally, Agadjani's alleged retaliation intensified. The lawsuit states that after Kulla requested time off in early 2025 due to stress, Agadjani's persistent harassment forced her resignation. The suit claims that Agadjani then leveraged his millions of social media followers to create a blacklisting campaign against Kulla within the Diamond District, warning businesses against working with her.
Agadjani reportedly confronted Kulla on the street while she was speaking with a vendor and later sent her texts after learning a client had contacted her. One alleged text reads, "Stealing my f--king customers Melisa? ... You piece of money hungry s--t," and expressed a desire to see her "suffer and fail."
The conflict escalated publicly when Agadjani allegedly posted videos to his 4.1 million Instagram followers, vowing to "sweep" his ex-employees "off the f--king block" and warning that he would "go after" anyone who sided with them.
Despite Kulla obtaining an order of protection, the lawsuit alleges Agadjani continued to harass her, including by contacting her roommate and using a third party to send her legal counsel a video containing personal medical information, threatening its publication.
Agadjani, who gained recognition for his role as "Yussi" in "Uncut Gems," has a history of public incidents, including a 2021 robbery at gunpoint and a brawl with a rival in January. He did not respond to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit, which includes claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Kulla's attorney declined to comment.