Norwegian Investors in ‘Morgan Kane’ Fire Back at Ousted Actor
A group of Norwegian investors fired back on Monday against the ousted star of “Morgan Kane,” alleging that the actor used false promises to induce them to invest in the project.
Ryan Wiik, a Norwegian actor, filed suit last week, alleging that he had been seduced by the CEO of the company he founded and then forced out.
Wiik acquired the rights to the “Morgan Kane” novels — a Western series popular in Norway — and has been attempting to finance the film for several years. In his lawsuit, he alleges that Tasmin Lucia-Khan, the CEO, used sex to manipulate him and gain power within the company, WR Entertainment. Wiik resigned from the company in December, after Lucia-Khan forced him to take a screen test and then urged him to quit, according to the suit.
On Monday, a group of 52 investors aligned with what Lucia-Khan wrote to Wiik to urge him to drop the suit.
“It is very difficult for us to understand why you are now working against the company when the project is finally moving forward,” the investors wrote. “It makes us question whether your intention is for the company to succeed financially, or if you just want to use the company and its CEO to promote your career and get publicity.”
Wiik’s attorney, Neville Johnson, declined to comment.
In the letter, the investors stated that though Wiik has raised $4 million for the film as of the end of 2015, he had “delivered very little to us shareholders,” and had repeatedly made guarantees about the status of the project that turned out to be untrue.
“We and our acquaintances invested in the company under false pretenses,” they wrote.
The investors stated that they are worried that Wiik’s “frivolous lawsuit” will present a distraction to current management, cause further delays, and damage their chances for seeing a return on their investment.
“For us this appears to be an attempt to destroy the project for the current management and thus inflict economic losses to WR Entertainment’s shareholders,” they wrote. “We hereby make you aware that we, if we incur economic losses related to our investment in the company, will sue you and demand our losses to be compensated by you personally, based on the false information and promises you have given us throughout the last decade.”
The investors, who state they control 32% of the company, contend that Wiik’s resignation is “positive” and “contributes to a greater chance for the company’s success.”
Get more from Variety and Variety411: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
