Hollywood lost a little of its luster in 2016, with the passing of stars from Alan Rickman to Alan Thicke. But it didn’t lose any of its litigiousness, with plenty of A-listers involved in high-stakes lawsuits.
Here’s a look at the biggest celebrity lawsuits of the last year:
1. Erin Andrews Hotel Peeping Tom Suit Goes to Trial
The popular sportscaster sued the man who stalked her and filmed her naked in her hotel room, along with the hotel itself, who provided her room information to her stalker. Andrews won $ 55 million in the suit.
2. Katt Williams Sued for Torturing Woman With Witches and Punches
In quite possibly the most bizarre court filings of 2016, the rapper, actor, and comedian allegedly responded to a female guest’s request to use his bathroom by organizing “a beatdown on her that included Wiccan sorcery” that last three hours.
3. Elton John Security Guard Sues, Claims Years of Sexual Abuse
A longtime bodyguard for the pop pianist claims Sir Elton sexually harassed and abused him for years, at times grabbing his crotch and telling him, “You have so many gay genes in you. They just haven’t met up yet.” John’s attorneys called the suit baseless, “brought by a disgruntled former security officer seeking to extract an undeserved payment.”
4. Filmmaker Sues Beyonce for ‘Lemonade’ Copyright Violations
Matthew Fulks says Queen Bey’s Lemonade trailer is substantially similar in mood, setting, pace, and fonts to his 2014 short film “Palinoia.” He also claims members of the Lemonade production had seen his film, which was released a few months prior.
5. Agency Sues Kardashian-Jenner Sisters for Breach of Contract
The Kardashians are a busy bunch. Too busy, allegedly, to share profits from product endorsement deals with their former agents. Agency for the Performing Arts are suing for an unspecified “ton of money” for unpaid percentages on deals negotiated by APA reps.
Related Resources:
- Kesha Seeks Injunctive Relief: What Is That? (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
- Models Sue Agencies for Financial Abuses and More (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
- Reese Witherspoon Sued for Copyright Infringement on Logo (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
- Donald Trump’s Personal Record in Federal Court: 169 Lawsuits (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)