Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Catherine Scorsese, Martin's Daughter Being Sued for Ruining the Success of "Campus Life"


Catherine Scorsese is being sued for ruining the success of "Campus Life" by, among other things, saying bad things to her father about the film's other producers.

Of all the strange ways to get sued, bad-mouthing your work colleagues to your father has got to be up there. Then again, if you're working in the film industry and your father is Martin Scorsese, these things can happen.

In late April, Catherine Scorsese filed a lawsuit that drew widespread notice thanks to her famous last name. In New York federal court, she alleged that she had provided co-producing and co-directing services on a movie entitled Campus Life. She says the defendant -- Jumpview Entertainment -- fraudulently promised her 25 percent of the company's profits and then backed away from an oral agreement, even after she had arranged for her father and actor Ray Liotta to play small parts in the film.

The other side gathered little attention.

Jumpview filed its own lawsuit against Ms. Scorsese in a Pennsylvania county court. The film company slammed her for all sorts of allegedly erratic behavior during the production of Campus Life and threw in some curious legal claims. For instance, getting her daddy to not promote the film allegedly equates to tortious interference. And telling her father that she was deprived of profits allegedly rises to defamation.

Now, both sides are jockeying for position in the lawsuits.

Scorsese is being represented by the same firm -- Lavely & Singer -- that handles her father's litigation. Her complaint against Jumpview starts off with a trademark Martin Singer flourish:

                              "If you want to do business with people who commit fraud, then Defendants are the perfect business partners for you. Similarly, if you want to render valuable services for free despite being promised that you would receive fair compensation, then you should render those services for Defendants. And if you have ever dreamed of working with people who will do anything to benefit themselves at your expense, than Defendants are your dream come true."

Jumpview and its co-founders Michael Simon and Kenneth Waddell have their own nasty characterization of what occurred and may have even topped what Singer's firm had to say. Their attorneys say they originally filed the lawsuit in last February. In June, after the case was removed to a federal court, an amended complaint was filed.

Read Complaint Here... http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/Documents/ESQ/catherinescorsese.pdf

Waddell admits offering the younger Scorsese -- the two met at New York Film School -- a role as a producer for Campus Life and representing that she'd receive a percentage of profits on the film. But Jumpview also asserts all sorts of alleged promises that Scorsese made on her end but didn't deliver. For example, she offered free studio space, according to an amended complaint filed in mid-June, as well as a free stunt coordinator, free grip and lighting equipment and a free  Liotta. These things weren't free. Liotta, for example, charged $500 a day.

The lawsuit against Scorsese follows with more instances of how she allegedly forced the production to incur expenses and how her "behavior became increasingly erratic and threatening as she felt her contributions were not being appreciated."

Read More.... http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/martin-scorsese-plays-odd-role-581781

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