Tom Cruise Wins Lawsuit Over Anthony Pellicano Wiretapping

A judge rules that former Bold magazine editor Michael Sapir should have brought his lawsuit sooner.

On Monday, the two prevailed on summary judgment against former Bold magazine editor Michael Davis Sapir, who accused the pair of hiring Anthony Pellicano to spy on him.

Sapir became entangled with Cruise more than a decade ago. The magazine editor offered a $500,000 reward for evidence that the actor was gay. Soon thereafter, the magazine claimed it had obtained video evidence that Cruise engaged in a homosexual relationship.

For making the claim, Sapir was hit with a $100 million defamation lawsuit. The suit eventually was settled, but before that happened, Cruise and his reps allegedly hired Pellicano to spy on Sapir.

For this, the editor filed a $5 million lawsuit against Cruise and Fields.

As evidence of the spying, Sapir's lawsuit said that the FBI recovered a file from Pellicano's offices titled "Michael Davis matter" and a computer file entitled "Bold" with the password "Bold cocksucker omerta." The lawsuit alleged that Pellicano was listening into conversations that Sapir had with his attorney about the Cruise defamation lawsuit.

Sapir's lawsuit against Cruise and Pellicano had other salacious tidbits. For example, Sapir also alleged that Pellicano taped recordings between Cruise and Nicole Kidman while the actors were going through their divorce.

But the lawsuit hasn't survived.

On Monday, a Los Angeles Superior Court ruled from the bench that the allegations weren't brought within the statute of limitations.

Cruise joins Brad Grey as escaping Pellicano-related lawsuits thanks to the claims being time-barred. Many other lawsuits proceed, including one against Michael Ovitz for allegedly hiring Pellicano to intimidate Anita Busch. Recently, the same judge ruled that Ovitz has failed to show that he's entitled to summary judgment on statute of limitation grounds.

Read More...http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/tom-cruise-wins-lawsuit-anthony-429393

A "swatting" Prankster in L.A. must have a Death Wish

The latest bogus 911 call to involve a celebrity targeted Dirty Harry himself ... Clint Eastwood.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, multiple units rushed to Eastwood's L.A. home this week after a relay service called 911 ... reporting multiple males armed with assault weapons inside the actor's house and people had been shot.

When the officers arrived at the scene, we're told they found nothing wrong ... the standard "swatting" scenario.

Police were unable to determine if anyone was home at the time of the prank.

It's the latest in a long string of similar celebrity "swatting" pranks -- other victims include Ashton Kutcher, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise, the Kardashians, and Chris Brown.

The LAPD is really starting to get pissed too -- because the pranks are a HUGE waste of valuable resources and even put innocent people's lives in danger. As one law enforcement source put it, "The suspects WILL be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." One 12-year-old kid has already been charged in connection with some of the calls.

Read more...  http://www.tmz.com/2013/02/22/clint-eastwood-swatting-prank-bogus-911/

Tom Cruise vs. Life & Style: Suri Mental State Probed in $50 Mil Lawsuit

One of the discomforts for a celebrity bringing a defamation case against a tabloid is being subjected to the discovery process. After all, one of the defenses against libel is that there were no false statements made.

In October, Tom Cruise filed a $50 million lawsuit against the Bauer Media Group, publisher of Life & Style magazine, over a story that suggested the actor had abandoned daughter Suri. The litigation had the potential of becoming nasty in the pretrial phase; now, it appears, it has.

Here are some of the things that Bauer Media, represented by attorney Alonzo Wickers, is seeking:

                      The extent to which Cruise was in contact with Suri following his separation and divorce from Katie Holmes.
                    The expectations for Cruise's contact and visitation schedule with Suri and the terms of the divorce agreement.
                   The role that Cruise's membership in the Church of Scientology played in his decisions regarding his visitation and communication with Suri.
                   Suri's mental and emotional state following the separation and divorce.
                  Cruise's claim and litigation history.

On that last point, at the time of the filing, Cruise lawyer Bert Fields said: "Tom doesn't go around suing people. He's not a litigious guy. But when these sleaze peddlers try to make money with disgusting lies about his relationship with his child, you bet he's going to sue."

Bauer also is seeking to depose Aaron Moss, another of Cruise's lawyers, which the attorney is resisting.

Not to be outdone, Cruise has his own discovery demands. Some of the things the plaintiff is seeking:
                     The identity of the magazine's sources and communications with those sources.
                     Bauer's policies and practices with respect to obtaining information, paying for sources, verifying the credibility of sources with whom the writers and editors haven't spoken.
                     Bauer's practice of publishing stories about Cruise.
                     Bauer's history of bigotry and hatred toward minority religious groups and their members.

According to a document filed Thursday, Bauer will attempt to exert journalistic shield privileges to protect the identity of its sources.

Read the full court document here... http://www.scribd.com/doc/125544506/Gov-uscourts-cacd-545913-15-0

Read more... http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/tom-cruise-life-style-suri-421647