The Culprit Behind the X-Men: Woverine Leak is.........Rupert Murdoch?!?

[Brian Damage]

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.co...verine-piracy/

according to Nikki Finke:

This is different from the rumor as I heard it: that Murdoch was anxious to bring the film on board his yacht and asked 20th Century Fox to make a copy for him. But then Murdoch had outside people do it, and that's how the film leaked onto the web.

[JamesG]

Ex-FoxNews.Com Gossip Friedman Says He'll Sue
15 June 2009 11:43 AM, PDT

Former FoxNews.com gossip columnist Roger Friedman is planning to file a wrongful termination lawsuit against his former employer, claiming that he was a victim of a campaign by prominent Hollywood members of the Church of Scientology to pressure Fox News to oust him because of his negative comments about their religion.

Friedman was fired last April after he wrote a column in which he remarked on the ease with which he had obtained and had been able to view a copy of 20th Century Fox's X-Men Origins: Wolverine over the Internet.

But, in an interview with the New York Daily News's Rush & Molloy column, Friedman, who now writes his column for the Hollywood Reporter, claims that the company used the piracy issue as a cover for their actual intent -- to avoid a backlash from Scientologists.

The Daily News columnists say one of those who campaigned hardest against Friedman was Kelly Preston, the wife of John Travolta. Moreover, the columnists quote Friedman as saying that when Fox accused him of "promoting" piracy, "nobody from Fox News defended me. ... They let the studio dictate to the newsroom."

-IMDB News

[JamesG]

Cruise And Preston Deny Involvement In Journalist's Sacking
16 June 2009 1:05 AM, PDT

Tom Cruise and John Travolta's wife Kelly Preston have denied allegations they pressured media network Fox News into firing columnist Roger Friedman earlier this year.

Friedman lost his high profile job with the network in April, with his bosses claiming he had been dismissed for posting an online movie review of a leaked copy of X-men Origins: Wolverine.

But Friedman has since announced plans to sue Fox bosses over the incident, alleging several Hollywood stars used their influence over network chiefs to get him fired because he disagrees with their religious beliefs.

The reporter - who plans to file legal papers against Fox in New York later this week (beg15Jun09) - claims his columns angered high profile Scientologists including Cruise, who he alleges was in talks to star in a Fox-backed film at the time of his sacking.

He goes on to levy allegations at Preston - accusing her of calling him a "religious bigot" at the funeral of singer Issac Hayes last August and claiming she subsequently orchestrated a meeting between Fox bosses and Scientology leaders to discuss his removal.

Friedman's attorney, Martin Garbus, says, "In falsely claiming Roger engaged in piracy, they attempted to destroy the reputation of a fine journalist. I've seen how Scientology intimidates even the most powerful media. That seems to be what happened here."

But Cruise's legal team have fired back at the allegations - calling claims the star was involved with Friedman's dismissal "utterly false".

Preston's lawyer, Martin Singer, slammed the accusations as "absurd and ridiculous".

He adds, "(Friedman) was terminated just days after (his X-Men Origins column was published). It is outrageous to try to blame my client on the basis of something that supposedly took place eight months earlier."

-IMDB News

[catlover79]

If that's true, I wouldn't be surprised a bit.