American Gangster studio sued for defamation by DEA trio :: Film & TV News :: Articles

For Ridley Scott, making Gladiator may have had its risks. There were the lions, the weaponry and the Russell Crowe. But at least Sir Scott was confident that no historical figure from the Roman Empire would be suing him or his producers for, say, $55 million.

But when you make a movie not set thousands of years ago, litigation sometimes becomes a risk. American Gangster, Scott’s crime epic about all kinds of heroin-related dealings in 1970s-era Harlem, has provoked a defamation lawsuit from three former Drug Enforcement Administration agents. Guess how much they’re suing for? (Hint: see the totally arbitrary figure at the end of the first paragraph.)

Former DEA agents Louis Diaz, Gregory Korniloff and Jack Toal allege that some printed text at the end of the film is “false and defamatory.” NBC Universal, on the other hand, argues that the “lawsuit is entirely without merit.” Find out more about the fracas right here, but don’t worry: neither Crowe nor Denzel Washington is in any danger. We just used their picture to entice you to read this article about litigation.

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