Evan Rachel Wood is being sued for $30 million by the producers of 10 Things I Hate About Life, who claim that she breached her contract when she pulled out of the production.
The Wrestler star was allegedly paid $300,000 for the lead role but then “seemingly changed her mind about appearing in the film during principal photography, ultimately refusing without any legal justification to fulfill her contractual obligations and instead opting to walk out on the project,” according to the lawsuit that was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday by 10 Films, LLC.
Read the full complaint here.
However, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, a representative for Wood said:
"The lawsuit is preposterous and simply a bullying tactic from financially troubled producers. The production shut down in February 2013 when the producers ran out of money.
"Even after that, Evan agreed to resume production in Nov. 2013 by which time the producers said they would have cleared up their issues. However, the producers still could not get their act together, nor did they pay Evan money that was owed," the statement goes on to claim.
"Repeated subsequent promises by the producers to resume production and pay Evan also turned out to be . Enough is enough. The producers, not Evan, have breached contract."
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The lawsuit, which names Wood and As You Were Productions as defendants, tells a different version of events, stating that all parties entered into a written actors services agreement on November 26, 2012.
In January 2013, the producers temporarily suspended production, which they claim was within their right, and when they recommenced principal photography in February 2013, Wood said for personal reasons she would be unable to continue until November, according to the lawsuit, and then “decided to simply refuse to return to the production.”
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The suit states that the defendants claim she had fulfilled her contractual services obligations owed despite only performing 11 days of principal photography, and has refused to return for seven full weeks of service. When the “producer pleaded with Evan Rachel Wood” to honor the contract, the defendants demanded “significant additional sums of money,” the complaint claims.
The total of $30 million requested includes equity investments, financing costs, damages and lost profits, plus attorney fees.
10 Films, LLC is represented by Michael A. Trauben of Singh, Singh & Trauben, LLP.
*This post has been revised since its original publication to correct typographical and formatting errors.
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
