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DEA Agents Sue Universal Over "American Gangster"
posted on Jan 20, 2008
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Three former special agents of the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration filed a $50 million lawsuit against NBC
Universal Inc. over the Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe film "American
Gangster." The film tells the story real-life drug kingpin Frank Lucas who built up a heroin empire in
Harlem in the early 1970s. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, alleges that the movie
falsely claims that three-quarters of "New York City's Drug Enforcement Agency,"
from 1973 to 1985, were convicted of a crime. The lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status on behalf of 400 present and
former DEA agents in New York.
In the suit, former DEA agents Louis
Diaz, Gregory Korniloff and Jack Toal said NBC Universal, the owner of
Universal Studios, falsely claimed the movie was based on a true story
and misrepresented the events surrounding Lucas.
As the final credits roll on the film, a screen appears that
states three-quarters of the drug enforcement agents assigned to New
York were convicted as a result of Lucas' cooperation with police officer Richie Roberts (Crowe). According to the DEA, there were no such convictions.
"With this utterly false and defamatory statement the defendant has ruined and
impugned the reputations of these honest and courageous public servants in the
eyes of million of people who have already been exposed to this defamation and
damaged them in their current trades and professions, and, if not stopped by an
injunction, will further ruin and impugn their reputations in the eyes of
millions more who are about to be exposed to the defamation, and will further
damage them in their current trades and professions," the lawsuit says.
The complaint also said the
film falsely represented the role played by New Jersey detective Richard
Roberts, who was portrayed by Crowe. The suit is also seeking a restraining order against further
distribution of the movie, $55 million in damages and punitive damages
and profits from the box office. The film has bought in more than $130 million.
The day before the lawsuit was filed, a spokesperson for the
studio gave a statement to The Associated Press stating: "Universal
Pictures has every confidence that the material facts are conveyed
truthfully in 'American Gangster,' from abundant research with direct
sources and from the public record."
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