Gender Discrimination On "Muppets" Movie Suing Disney

Walt Disney Pictures and DMP Productions are being sued by a woman who claims that she was subjected to gender discrimination while working as a first assistant film editor on the movie.

In the suit, Cecilia Hyoun -- described as an Asian woman over 40 -- also says that the film's editor, James Thomas (also named in the suit), "frequently interrogated plaintiff about her personal life and family situation, which made plaintiff very uncomfortable." The suit, filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, also claims that Thomas "made derogatory comments about other female employees, including but not limited to calling the post production supervisor a 'c---.'"

While working on the film, Hyoun -- who has also worked on "Almost Famous," "Vanilla Sky" and "8 Mile," among others -- says she was "grilled" repeatedly by Thomas "about choosing between her family responsibilities and her work, telling her to decide between 'being a mom' and working."

Hyoun claims that, despite reiterating her dedication to her work, and a promise that she would be employed on the film until its completion, she was fired early, in June 2011. Though Hyoun says she was told her job was being eliminated, the lawsuit claimed that "a subordinate male employee with vastly less experience than plaintiff was promoted to her position."

A spokeswoman for Disney has not yet responded to TheWrap's request for comment.

Hyoun alleges retaliation, harassment, gender discrimination, failure to take reasonable steps, wrongful termination in violation of public policy, negligent supervision/retention and intentional infliction of emotional distress in the complaint, which seeks unspecified damages.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/disney-sued-over-alleged-gender-discrimination-on-muppets-movie-2013-6#ixzz2VTta4PLe

A win for IMDb Over Age of Actress Huong Hoang

Huong Hoang sued IMDb after her age was revealed, which she says cost her jobs in an entertainment industry where perception matters.

On Thursday, a jury in Seattle handed a loss to Huong Hoang, the actress suing IMDb for revealing her age.

The verdict in favor of IMDb came after a trial earlier this week that lasted just over two days. In bringing the lawsuit, Hoang was determined to make a point about how IMDb's publication of her birthdate had caused her harm. As Hoang said in the complaint that she filed in federal court in October, 2011, "In the entertainment industry, youth is king."

That might be true, but a jury has determined today that IMDb hasn't breached any legal obligations to the 42-year-old actress.

After a judge forced her to reveal herself, the claims were pared to just focus on whether IMDb had breached a user agreement with the actress, who is professionally known as Junie Hoang and who has had roles in Fifth Ward, A Gang Land Love Story and Ungirlfriendable.

During the midst of litigation, Hoang's lead attorney died and her new lawyers attempted to expand the case to showcase other actors who had allegedly been hurt by IMDb's policy of putting dates of birth on profile pages. She was supported by the Screen Actors Guild, and many other actors rallied to her cause. Hoang also made an issue of how IMDb had allegedly used credit information when she signed up to IMDb's Pro account and how IMDb's employees used a third party verification website to gain information to use in her profile.

IMDb, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, called Hoang "selfish," saying that she shouldn't be allowed to exploit the courts to perpetuate misinformation about her age. At trial, Hoang was forced to answer many tough questions about her own attempts to deceive IMDb into changing or removing her age. The case gathered attention at the highest ranks at Amazon.com. One of the spectators attending the Seattle trial was Amazon's general counsel.

For Hoang, it was about "perception, your age, how you look," according to comments she made on the witness stand. Her lawyer, Derek Newman, presented the case on why detrimental information on an IMDb profile can result in the loss of acting jobs.

For IMDb, it was about a "search for truth," according to its lawyer, Harry Schneider. The website believed that it had the right to present accurate information.

Read More... http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/imdb-wins-lawsuit-actress-age-437828

Huong "Junie" Hoang & 9 others is suing IMDb

Junie Hoang of  Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver and Hoodrats 2 is suing IMDb suing the Internet Movie Database for revealing her age. As casting director's rejected her as being too old

According to her pretrial statement, she won't be alone in attempting to hold the Amazon.com affiliate liable for costing her jobs in Hollywood. Hoang's lawyers want to bring nine other actors and actresses onto the witness stand to testify about their own efforts to get IMDb to remove birth dates.

In total, Hoang plans 19 witnesses and 400 trial exhibits, which has caused Amazon's lawyers to strongly object to a "straightforward" one-to-two day trial potentially getting out of hand.

The actors on Hoang's witness list are Jason Cermak (The Grind), Camille Solari (Boston Girls), Stacey Newsome (The Manchurian Candidate), Joan McCall (Days of Our Lives), Jill Virnig (Little Athens), Mark Anthony Nacarato (Organized Criminal), Mitchell Fink (A Thousand Words), Micah Ballinger (Shadows) and Scott Cohen (One Life to Live).

The lawsuit also seeks to present the picture of IMDb getting actors to submit certain credit information and then using the website PrivateEye.com for the purposes of adding or correcting to its database. Hoang's documents also assert that IMDb has been involved in 10 to 15 legal disputes in the last few years relating to it displaying performers' ages.

Among the other planned witnesses are Joe Kolkowitz at Player's Talent Agency, a records custodian at SAG-AFTRA, and various employees at IMDB/Amazon.

The defendant thinks this is all too much, saying that Hoang has "not provided any justification to extend the length of trial which is a virtual certainty if she is permitted to call 19 witnesses and offer over 400 trial exhibits."

Hoang's pretrial statement is ... http://www.scribd.com/doc/130609433/Hoang-Pretrial

Read More... http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/imdb-lawsuit-actress-suing-imdb-429038