Brian Damage
04-23-2010, 08:55 AM
Hollywood newcomer Michael Avmen thought attending the Academy Awards would be the highlight of his burgeoning career. Instead, the actor claims that he and his wife were "tentatively confirmed" guests... but "held against their will" for six hours in the Academy's "detention center," interrogated about how they were able to get onto the red carpet without tickets, and accused of lying and trespassing. FOXNews reports that Avmen has now filed a $50 million lawsuit against The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for illegal false imprisonment and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Avmen has small roles in three upcoming films this year -- 'Broken Blade,' 'Battle: Los Angeles' and 'Straw Dogs,' starring Kate Bosworth and Alexander Skarsgard.
According to a suit filed in Central District Superior Court in California, Avmen was told he'd been offered a tentative invitation to the event but despite several attempts by Avmen and his publicist, they were unable to locate the tickets. It's not unusual for the Academy to hold tickets inside the venue; actors such as Robert Downey Jr. also received their tickets on the day of the event. Avmen claims he was led to believe his tickets were waiting for him there.
On the afternoon of March 7th, Avmen and his wife dressed up for the Oscars and an usher for the event took them from their hotel to a "resolution desk," where Avmen met an Academy employee with whom he'd been in contact.
After six hours of interrogation, Avmen says uniformed Los Angeles police officers arrived and took them to the station, but no charges were filed. Avmen claims that the officer apologized profusely for how they were treated by Academy officials.
Avmen's lawsuit states that he and his wife were "injured in health, strength and activity" and "sustained injury to his and her body and shock and injury to their nervous system" and have since suffered "humiliation, mental anguish and emotional and physical distress."
"If I or some 'REGULAR' individual acted as The Academy did, we would be in prison right now. I want, and I will show that these people aren't above the law," Avmen said in a statement. "Security is one thing, but this was outside the realm of excessive. My wife and I have suffered, and there has been a great injustice enforced."
http://www.popeater.com/2010/04/23/michael-avmen-lawsuit-oscars/
Avmen has small roles in three upcoming films this year -- 'Broken Blade,' 'Battle: Los Angeles' and 'Straw Dogs,' starring Kate Bosworth and Alexander Skarsgard.
According to a suit filed in Central District Superior Court in California, Avmen was told he'd been offered a tentative invitation to the event but despite several attempts by Avmen and his publicist, they were unable to locate the tickets. It's not unusual for the Academy to hold tickets inside the venue; actors such as Robert Downey Jr. also received their tickets on the day of the event. Avmen claims he was led to believe his tickets were waiting for him there.
On the afternoon of March 7th, Avmen and his wife dressed up for the Oscars and an usher for the event took them from their hotel to a "resolution desk," where Avmen met an Academy employee with whom he'd been in contact.
After six hours of interrogation, Avmen says uniformed Los Angeles police officers arrived and took them to the station, but no charges were filed. Avmen claims that the officer apologized profusely for how they were treated by Academy officials.
Avmen's lawsuit states that he and his wife were "injured in health, strength and activity" and "sustained injury to his and her body and shock and injury to their nervous system" and have since suffered "humiliation, mental anguish and emotional and physical distress."
"If I or some 'REGULAR' individual acted as The Academy did, we would be in prison right now. I want, and I will show that these people aren't above the law," Avmen said in a statement. "Security is one thing, but this was outside the realm of excessive. My wife and I have suffered, and there has been a great injustice enforced."
http://www.popeater.com/2010/04/23/michael-avmen-lawsuit-oscars/