Justin Theroux Gets Temporary Restraining Order Against Neighbor During Lengthy Legal Battle

Maria Pasquini
Updated

Justin Theroux has won the latest court battle against one of his neighbors.

The 46-year-old actor has been granted a temporary restraining order against Norman Resnicow, after two of Theroux’s other neighbors claimed in court that Resnicow had threatened them, according to court documents filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Two of Theroux’s neighbors — Bradley Calcaterra and David McCorkle — claimed that on April 29, Resnicow verbally assaulted them inside the lobby of their Greenwich Village building while holding what appeared to be 2 harpoons, but were actually a pair of log rollers with metal hooks, according to TMZ.

“These were gardening tools, not weapons. Norman is not Captain Ahab. He’s is a 70 year-old man with a heart condition,” Resnicow’s attorney Peter Levine tells PEOPLE. On the day in question, “He happened to be cleaning out the electrical room, which the board of directors had asked the tenant-shareholders to do.”

The incident, which took place two days after the neighbors “submitted affidavits” as part of the the lengthy legal battle between Theroux and Resnicow, left them “shaken and justifiably nervous about speaking out further,” according to court documents filed by Theroux’s lawyer asking for the restraining order.

Justin Theroux
Justin Theroux

According to the same document, the incident began around 10:45 p.m., when Calcaterra entered the lobby with a guest and Resnicow quickly “launched into a verbal assault against Mr. Calcettera” while “shouting at the top of his lungs.” As Calceterra and his guest “began to fear for their physical safety and attempted to retreat to the elevator” they were allegedly pursued by Resnicow.

Resnicow’s outburst was allegedly so loud that McCorkle “heard it through the closed front door of his fourth floor apartment,” but when he attempted to go downstairs “to defuse the situation,” Resnicow continued “yelling at the top of his lungs” while menacingly holding the log rollers.

Resnicow eventually went back to his apartment after being “forcefully told” by McCorkle to do so, according to the same court document filed by Theroux’s attorney.

The temporary restraining order will prohibit Resnicow from “harassing, intimidating, threatening or in any other way influencing witnesses and potential witnesses” or “using abusive language” with building residents.

“The judge has not yet heard from Norman about the event in question,” Levine tells PEOPLE of the restraining order. “Norman has yet to formally respond to the allegations. Norman’s response is not due until June 8. We will meet that deadline and place the event in proper perspective and proper context. As of now, there have been no factual findings by the judge. This order has nothing to do with what I think is the real issue of the case: where to draw the boundary between Justin Theroux’s portion of the roof terrace and the Resnicows’ portion.”

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The legal dispute began in May 2017, when Theroux sued his neighbor “in order to obtain some relief from the campaign of retribution he has been waging against me since September 2015, when I would not accede to his demand that I install $25,000 – $30,000 of soundproofing in my floors,” the actor explained in an affidavit in support of his temporary restraining order filed on Tuesday.

Among the actor’s list of grievances, Theroux has accused Resnicow of shutting off the water line to his roof terrace, interfering with his proposed home renovations, and “killing the ivy growing” between their portions of the roof deck just because Theroux “enjoyed the aesthetic provided by the ivy.”