WOODY ACCUSES AMERICAN APPAREL OF HARASSMENT
Actor-director Woody Allen has accused a clothing company of trying to harass and intimidate him with a 'scorched earth' approach to defending itself against a $10 million (US) dollars lawsuit.
In papers filed Wednesday (15 APR 2009) by his lawyers, the 73-year-old Allen said American Apparel Inc. went too far in requesting information about his family life, personal finances and career.
Allen sued the company last year for using his image of the company's billboards in Hollywood and New York and on a Web site.
Allen said he had not authorised the displays.
The new court papers said American Apparel has, adopted a 'scorched earth' approach, issuing broad document requests and subpoenas to many people close to him, including his sister.
Allen's lawyers said the company was seeking to tarnish Mr. Allen's reputation a second time, and called it a 'despicable effort to intimate' him.
American Apparel lawyer Stuart Slotnick said the company plans to make Allen's relationships to actress Mia Farrow and her adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, whom Allen married, the focus of a trial scheduled to begin in federal court in Manhattan on May 18.
''Woody Allen expects $10 million for use of his image on billboards that were up and down in less than one week,'' Slotnick said. ''I think Woody Allen overestimates the value of his image.''
He said the company's belief was that ''after the various sex scandals that Woody Allen has been associated with, corporate America's desire to have Woody Allen endorse their product is not what he may believe it is.''
One billboard featured a frame from 'Annie Hall,' a film that won Allen a best-director Oscar.
The image showed Allen dressed as a Hasidic Jew with a long beard and black hat and Yiddish text.
The words 'American Apparel' also were on the billboard.
Allen's lawsuit said the billboard falsely implied he sponsored, endorsed or was associated with American Apparel.
Slotnick said it was not a cheap shot to bring up Allen's sex life in a lawsuit over the billboard and Internet ads.
Farrow starred in several of Allen's movies during a relationship with the director that ended in 1992, when she discovered he was having an affair with her oldest adopted daughter, Previn, then 22.
Allen married Previn in 1997.
During a bitter custody fight, Farrow accused Allen of sexually abusing their adopted daughter Dylan, 7.
Allen was exonerated of the abuse charges, but Farrow won sole custody.
American Apparel is known for its provocative ads of scantily dressed models in tight-fitting and sometimes see-through garments.
Allen testified at a December deposition that he considered the company's advertising to be 'sleazy' and 'infantile.'
