Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080627/people_nm/troyer_dc;_ylt=Au1dvqqDA15tjh8GzXxzKvhxFb8C)


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dwarf actor Verne Troyer, a star of "The Love Guru," has sued celebrity Web site TMZ.com and other defendants seeking more than $20 million in damages over a sex tape he said was stolen and posted online.


Troyer, who played the diminutive character Mini-Me in the "Austin Powers" movies, is shown in the tape with former girlfriend Renae Shrider.

Also named in the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Thursday, was producer Kevin Blatt, said to be a promoter of the 2004 sex tape featuring celebrity heiress Paris Hilton, and movie distribution company SugarDVD.

"The videotape was never intended by either plaintiff or his girlfriend to be shown to the public, and was always intended exclusively for plaintiff's own personal, private use," states the lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.

The tape was posted on TMZ on Wednesday, with a headline that included the words "avert your eyes."

Troyer, 39, is 2 feet, 8 inches tall.

He claims the tape was stolen, and accuses TMZ Productions Inc, which operates TMZ.com, of violating his privacy. His lawyers are seeking an injunction to have the tape removed from the Internet and not otherwise distributed.

TMZ officials were not immediately available to comment.

The suit estimates expected profits from the video to be $20 million, and seeks all profits earned. Troyer claims that he only found out on Wednesday, when the video was posted at TMZ.com, that it was in the hands of the defendants.

In 2004, Troyer went to court to dispute a contention from model Genevieve Gowman -- whose professional name was Genevieve Gallen -- that the two were legally married that year.

Troyer has worked in Hollywood for more than a decade, getting his start as a stunt double for an infant in the film "Baby's Day Out." In "The Love Guru," which stars Mike Myers, he plays an ice hockey coach.

Reuters/Nielsen

Suuuure it was stolen. :rolleyes:
Publicity stunt. Love Guru anyone?

It's probably better than Love Guru, Irene.

;)

:lol:

Our local entertainment channel played a snippet of that tape and let me tell you...:puke:

Ewwww... :eek:

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080627/ap_en_ce/people_verne_troyer_lawsuit;_ylt=Ale.HuxKJszNtB76zlxmVnJxFb8C)

LOS ANGELES - A 25-second snippet of video showing Verne Troyer and a former girlfriend having sex that was available online over the past couple of days is all the world will see of the tape — for now.

A federal judge on Friday granted a temporary restraining order requested by Troyer's attorneys that prevents porn distributors from taking orders for the full-length video, and prevents TMZ from broadcasting any more clips.

The celebrity Web site posted the short segment on its site on Wednesday; Troyer sued the site and porn distributors on Thursday for $20 million in damages.

U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez wrote that Troyer's motion "demonstrated that he will suffer irreparable harm to his reputation" if the tape is distributed. It barred further broadcasting of the tape, which Troyer's attorney, Tracy Rane, interpreted as meaning that TMZ has to remove the video from its site.

TMZ removed the snippet of the tape by late Friday afternoon, instead redirecting Web viewers to its homepage. Another post describing the lawsuit remained active Friday.

Troyer, who is most famous for his role as "Mini Me" in two of the "Austin Powers" movies, claims the sex tape he made with a former girlfriend was stolen from his home some months ago.

TMZ, which did not return telephone messages left by The Associated Press on Friday, reported that the video could fetch $100,000 from a porn distributor. SugarDVD wrote in a statement on its Web site that hoped to reach a deal with Troyer to distribute the full, 50-minute version.

Gutierrez also indicated in his ruling that he may be inclined to issue a more forceful preliminary injunction in the case unless TMZ and other parties demonstrate why it should be released.

Troyer's suit claims release of an excerpt of the tape was an invasion of privacy and copyright infringement. He is also seeking the return of all copies of the video.

His suit claims he made the tape with his former girlfriend and never intended it to be shown publicly.

The lawsuit included a pair of letters e-mailed to TMZ and SugarDVD telling both entities to remove mentions of the tape from their Web sites and halt any further plans to distribute it.

Stolen from his home? How many celebs does that make now where a sex tape was stolen from the home? And note, nothing else was ever taken???? :confused:

:lol:

Our local entertainment channel played a snippet of that tape and let me tell you...:puke:


OMG I saw part of that, GROSSED ME OUT!!!!!!!! kissing part :barf:

OMG I saw part of that, GROSSED ME OUT!!!!!!!! kissing part :barf:
What they showed on our local channel was not kissing, if you know what I mean...:eek: it was blurred out, but still. ohno: I said, "Forget this" and changed the channel quick.

What they showed on our local channel was not kissing, if you know what I mean...:eek: it was blurred out, but still. ohno: I said, "Forget this" and changed the channel quick.

I would, too!!:p

Yuck!!

Why do these celebs keep insisting on making tapes of themselves?

Why do these celebs keep insisting on making tapes of themselves?

So they'll get stolen and wind up online somewhere for sale.

:lol:

Our local entertainment channel played a snippet of that tape and let me tell you...:puke:
They showed a little bit of it on our local news. puke: I covered my eyes until the commercial break came on!!

Why do these celebs keep insisting on making tapes of themselves?so that they can apper on tv and whine about them being stolen

so that they can apper on tv and whine about them being stolen
:rofl:

so that they can apper on tv and whine about them being stolen
:lol:

Or promote a project or movie they just happen to have out at that time.


I swear, that scene they aired that made me gag, looked like Verne's girlfriend was giving birth in reverse. :crazy:

I was and still am disgusted at my local channel for airing that. :mad:

^ I don't blame you. That is one disgusting visual. *shudders*

I swear, that scene they aired that made me gag, looked like Verne's girlfriend was giving birth in reverse. :crazy:

:brent

I was and still am disgusted at my local channel for airing that. :mad:

Anything for ratings!! Did they give you a warning before they aired it, something like "we should warn you that certain parts of this story might be disturbing"!!:puke:

celebs need to learn to NOT make sex tapes. that only makes matters worse.

Note how the sex tapes of celebs seem to get stolen???? Not their Coach purses, not their Jimmy Choo shoes, not their expensive digital equipment or leather or fur coats, not their wallets, not their diamond watches or jewelry, etc? Just a sex tape that had been hidden in some lingerie or underwear drawer. Hmmmmmm...

celebs need to learn to NOT make sex tapes. that only makes matters worse.

Especially celebrities that aren't all that attractive in the first place!!

Note how the sex tapes of celebs seem to get stolen???? Not their Coach purses, not their Jimmy Choo shoes, not their expensive digital equipment or leather or fur coats, not their wallets, not their diamond watches or jewelry, etc? Just a sex tape that had been hidden in some lingerie or underwear drawer. Hmmmmmm...

:lol: seriously! of all the things they have (and they've got some pretty expensive things), the sex tape is mysteriously stolen. weiiiiird.

Especially celebrities that aren't all that attractive in the first place!!

:lol: so true.

Especially celebrities that aren't all that attractive in the first place!!
:rofl: Tell me about it!