Just got an e-mail from Abby Lovett, the same rep. who has been telling us for a week or so that John Condon was not leaving the agency, saying that John Condon is leaving the agency.

Lewis Lazare of the Chicago Sun Times first aired rumors of the split, though AdAge will probably be like, "as we reported".

This is just annoying because last Friday we asked Lovett if there were any updates on Condon and she said, "No update on Condon..." and the only reason we're mentioning this is because there's no way she didn't know about it. Oh and even before that we asked her about the sitch and it was all, "no no, he's staying everything is fine."

The real reason we reached out to Lovett last Friday wasn't so much to get an update on Condon as it was to ask if Ned Crowley might be coming back to replace him. Despite what Lovett was telling us, we had notions that he was indeed on his way out. Anyway, Crowley left LB for McGarry Bowen in 2007 — where he's been ECD since. Some say that when he departed, he took the remaining Disney business with him. Lovett disgarees, "...he didn't 'take' the business," she wrote. "In fact, we (LB) still retain a small portion of the account. Before Ned's departure, the account had been slowing down for some time, so it didn't have a huge impact."

How about that, it was slowing down anyway! Well that's even better than losing it when a top creative guy leaves, isn't it now?

Speak agency, speak: "John served the agency admirably for 20 plus years at Leo Burnett. As Chief Creative Officer, he has improved our creative product and global ranking. He's an extraordinary creative and we will miss him. We wish him only the best in his new venture," said Chairman and CEO Tom Bernardin." Good job.

Anyway, McGarry Bowen is in the shitter (well, not that LB isn't) these days so we wouldn't be at all surprised if Crowley stepped in — and up — to helm the creative boat. Wait for it. As for Condon't next move — the agency says the plans aren't yet laid. Do you believe them?

More: "Did John Condon Get the Boot From Leo Burnett Chicago?"