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Legal Troubleshooters: Who the Stars Call to Put Out Fires
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Netflix Can’t Escape Defamation Lawsuit Over True Crime Documentary Photo
A photo of plaintiff Taylor Hazlewood, who wasn't involved in the incident the true crime documentary 'The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker' is about, was used by the streamer without his knowledge or consent.
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Business
Gerard Butler’s $10M ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ Profits Lawsuit Settles
The actor had claimed in a 2021 lawsuit he hasn't seen a penny in profits from the film, which has spawned two sequels.
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Business
Indie Movie Producer Wonderfilm Sued by ‘Hard Matter’ Partner For Breach of Contract
The Exchange, which marketed the movie for sale, says that Wonderfilm failed to secure insurance and that it had no part in the alleged fraud.
THR, Esq's Latest News
Netflix Can’t Escape Defamation Lawsuit Over True Crime Documentary Photo
A federal judge has found that Netflix could have defamed a Kentucky man whose picture was lifted from his social media for use in a documentary that allegedly implied he was involved in a murder. In the 2023 true crime documentary The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, a photo of Taylor Hazlewood is shown, with audio saying […]
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Gerard Butler’s $10M ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ Profits Lawsuit Settles
Gerard Butler has resolved a legal fight over allegations that he’s owed at least $10 million in profits from the 2013 blockbuster Olympus Has Fallen. Defendants Nu Image and Millennium Media notified the court on Tuesday of a settlement, which is conditioned on the completion of certain terms within 45 days. Specifics of the agreement […]
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Indie Movie Producer Wonderfilm Sued by ‘Hard Matter’ Partner For Breach of Contract
Indie production shop The Exchange, also known as BOS Entertainment, is suing Wonderfilm for breach of contract related to their partnership on Harvey Keitel and Tyrese Gibson-starrer Hard Matter, which appears to be stuck in limbo for failure to pay a visual effects vendor. The lawsuit filed on Tuesday in California federal court arrives in […]
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‘60 Minutes’ Producer Sues CBS Claiming Gender Discrimination Over Firing
A producer on CBS’s 60 Minutes is suing the network for firing her after she was accused of harassment while turning a blind eye to “far more egregious misconduct” by male employees. The producer, Alexandra Poolos, says in a gender discrimination lawsuit filed against CBS on Tuesday in New York federal court that the company […]
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‘Rust’ Prosecutors Looking Into Whether Alec Baldwin Undermined Set Safety
The production entity for Rust must turn over records that could indicate whether Alec Baldwin shirked industry-wide norms on set safety to shoot the movie on a shoestring budget, a judge has ruled on Tuesday. In what could be a prelude to the refiling of charges against the movie’s actor and producer, prosecutors are seeking […]
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ABC News Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit From Ex-‘Good Morning America’ Producer
Former Good Morning America producer Kirstyn Crawford has settled a legal battle against ABC News, which she accused of sweeping under the rug multiple sexual harassment allegations against her then-boss and ex-senior news executive Michael Corn. A stipulation was filed on Friday in New York state court moving for dismissal of the case “with prejudice,” […]
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Bryan Fuller Accused of Sexual Harassment on Set of AMC Networks’ ‘Queer for Fear’
Producer and showrunner Bryan Fuller, known for creating Hannibal and American Gods, has been sued for alleged sexual assault and harassment in a lawsuit that accuses AMC Networks, Shudder and Steakhaus Productions of ignoring and facilitating a hostile work environment on the set of Queer for Fear. Series producer Samuel Wineman filed on Wednesday a […]
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SAG-AFTRA Leader: Actors Should Get Same AI Protections As Studios
Consent, credit and compensation. Those were the terms that SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and Writers Guild of America West negotiating committee member John August called for in order for guild members’ work, likenesses and brands to be used to train artificial intelligence systems. At a hearing before the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday, […]
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CAA, Disney Sued For Allegedly Enabling Sex Crimes By Harvey Weinstein
CAA has been named in a lawsuit filed by Julia Ormond against Harvey Weinstein accusing her former agency and the former movie mogul’s employers at Miramax and Disney of turning a blind eye to his history of sexual assault. Ormond, who rose to prominence in the 90s after starring in Legends of the Fall, First […]
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Chris Tucker to Pay $3.6M In Settlement Over Back Taxes Case
Chris Tucker will pay $3.6 million to settle claims he shorted the government on taxes when he was at the peak of his fame. The deal reached on Monday will cover unpaid federal income tax liabilities for 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2010. The government sought roughly $9.68 million. Tucker has been wrapped up in various […]
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Does Disney’s Management of Hulu and ESPN Violate Antitrust Laws? A Judge Weighs In
As a brighter spotlight is being put on Disney’s role as a content supplier and distributor amid labor disputes, a federal judge has ruled that the entertainment monolith must face an antitrust lawsuit accusing it of illegally taking advantage of its dual position in business dealings. The proposed class action took aim at Disney’s ownership […]
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Elon Musk’s Twitter Rebrand to X Corp. Draws Trademark Lawsuit From Social Media Ad Agency
X Corp. has been sued for copyright infringement, wrongful termination and employment discrimination since Elon Musk acquired the company known as Twitter less than a year ago. Trademark infringement can now be added to its list of legal troubles, with the filing of a lawsuit from an advertising agency. That ad agency, X Social Media, […]
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‘Blind Side’ Subject’s Conservatorship Terminated Amid Legal Fight Over Movie Profits
A Tennessee judge has terminated the conservatorship of Michael Oher, a retired NFL player whose life story was chronicled in The Blind Side, under the Memphis couple at the center of the movie who allegedly took financial advantage of him. Shelby County Probate Court Judge Kathleen Gomes on Friday ended the agreement reached in 2004 […]
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Supreme Court to Clarify Copyright Infringement Limits in Case Against Warner Music
The Supreme Court will clear up how far back copyright holders can recover damages for infringement in a case involving a Florida producer who sued Warner Chappell Music after Flo Rida sampled a song he owns. The justices agreed on Friday to review an appeal from Warner Music and Artist Publishing Group of a lower […]
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Power Lawyers 2023: New York’s Top 25 Entertainment Attorneys
New York city certainly hasn’t been immune to the effects of the strikes. But while Hollywood has largely been at a standstill, major players in theater, music, sports and tech have been as busy as ever. In The Hollywood Reporter’s NYC spotlight, meet the 25 attorneys handling big-ticket catalog deals, navigating AI copyright fights, buying […]
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Netflix Sued Over ‘Rebel Moon’ by Game Maker That Claims Its World-Building Was Used in Movie
A game maker is suing Netflix for allegedly claiming a confidentiality breach in a contract to develop a game based on Zack Snyder’s upcoming Rebel Moon as a pretext to steal ideas and concepts created for the game and incorporate them into the space opera franchise. In a lawsuit filed in California federal court on […]
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