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It takes a lot to get a celebrity to sue their fans. Besides the fact that they already have enough money that the paltry amount a settlement really isn’t enough incentive for celebs to waste their time with the courts, it’s just bad publicity to legally go after anyone who says they like you.
And yet, it’s happened more often than not. That’s partly because celebrities have to protect their image, and partly because some of the things these fans get up to are so bizarre that shining a light on them with a lawsuit is just free publicity. And you know what they say about publicity.
Whether it’s to save their reputation or to get back into the headlines, here’s a few celebrity lawsuits that will make you think twice about becoming a super fan.
Tom Cruise Sues Gay Fan
Nowadays, it’s almost hip to be accused of being homosexual, but back in the day being gay could be a career killer. So, when a gay “erotic wrestler” named Chad Slater told a French magazine in 2003 the reason Tom Cruise left Nicole Kidman (his second wife) was because the actor had an affair with him, it made Cruise notice.
Cruise took Slater to court, and a Los Angeles judge sided with Cruise and awarded the already loaded actor $10 million in damages. It probably helped that it eventually came to light that Slater was lying about the whole “affair” thing from day one. Not sure where an “erotic wrestler” will come up with $10 million though. Maybe sell his body?
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Robin Williams Look Alike Sued By The Real Williams
In 2005, Robin Williams sued phone-Williams Michael Clayton and his agent Michael Pool for trying to convince charities and the public that Clayton was actually the Oscar-award winning actor and not just a convincing double. Williams’ lawsuit alleged that Clayton defrauded a charity for the Missouri fire department $2500 by saying he was the real Robin Williams.
After he finally got caught by a local reporter, Clayton denied that he’d ever tried to misrepresent himself and blamed his agent for not communicating clearly enough that he wasn’t actually Robin Williams. That wasn’t enough for Williams’ lawyers though, and they brought him to court to shut him down.
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James Woods Sues Anonymous Twitter User For Calling Him A Coke Addict
The internet has done amazing things for public discourse. One of the things it has done is made it easy to anonymously accuse anyone of anything. One Twitter user, named “Abe List”, tweeted: “cocaine addict James Woods still sniffing and spouting.” The implication that Woods does or has ever done cocaine must have peeved him off since he decided to try and sue the account for defamation in 2015 for $10 million.
The only problem was he didn’t know who to serve the papers to.
He kept at it, and eventually, he was able to subpoena Twitter for the guy’s real name to get served, but then the Twitter user died in 2017. Again that didn’t stop Woods, who tried to go after the guy’s estate. They eventually settled after reading a lengthy apology letter. Moral of the story: don’t f!@# with James Woods.
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Marilyn Manson Sues Woman Who Said They Were Engaged
Fans can be crazy sometimes. One fan was so crazy as to say she was briefly engaged to shock-rocker Marilyn Manson.
Yolanda Tharpe started telling media outlets like E! Online and Life & Style Magazine that she and Manson were engaged in 2013. That might have eluded the rock star’s attention, but then she also started saying Manson was a neo-Nazi racist bigot. That was the last straw for Manson, who sued for $50,000 in damages. No word on how that suit went, so it was likely settled quietly.
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Taylor Swift Sues Etsy Fan Making Swiftie Merch
Taylor Swift fans (also known as “Swifties”) can be a bit ravenous in their love for the world-famous singer, but Swift herself may have taken the wind out of some of their sales back in 2015. Lawyers for the “Shake it Off” superstar targeted Etsy dealers making $20 t-shirts and embroidery of Swift by sending out a slew of cease and desist letters. Rather than go up against Swift’s legal juggernaut and throw in their Swiftie cards, everybody took down their merch on the double.
Doesn’t seem to have cost Swift all that many fans.
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