SEAN PENN $10 MILLION DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST LEE DANIELS CO-CREATOR EMPIRE

USPA NEWS - Sean Penn has filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit againt Lee Daniels co-creator of the series Empire. The last one gave an interview to THR posted online in advance (September 16) of its September 25 Magazine issue. In the complaint , we can read the following...

Sean Penn has filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit againt Lee Daniels co-creator of the series Empire. The last one gave an interview to THR posted online in advance (September 16) of its September 25 Magazine issue. In the complaint , we can read the following 'As a result of Penn's status as a public figure, he has for years been the subject of scandalous, scurrilous, and baseless attacks...

... But Penn, like any citizen, has a right to defend himself and will no longer tolerate the reckless and malicious behavior of others, who seek to aggrandize themselves or their projects at his expense. Accordingly, and because of Daniel's defamatory statements, Penn brings this action for monetary relief, and to deter Daniels and others from their defamatory actions.'

Sean Penn's attorney said 'which is the malicious and reckless repetition of rumors and innuendo at the expense of others. Sean has been subjected to false, baselesss attacks for years, and this is only the most recent example.'

Also in the complaint it is made clear that 'In making his false and defamatory statements, Daniel well knew that they would be published throughout the United States and abroad, which they have been. Moreover, Daniels also knew or should have known that many publications would carry those statements in their headlines or as part of their cover stories, as a result of his claim that Howard 'was no different than... Penn.'

Since Daniel's defamatory statements, both expressly and by implication, are ones that would tend to harm the reputation of Penn and/or deter third persons from associating or dealing with Penn in the conduct of his profession as actor, humanitarian, journalist, fundraiser for and CEO of his charitable organization J/P HRO, and international ambassador for peace and human rights, while also exposing him to public contempt, ridicule, aversion and disgrace, Penn is presumed to have suffered injury and damages, and daniels has committed defamation per se. '

NO COMMENT ON THE TREATMENT GIVEN TO THE REPUTATION OF MARLON BRANDO WHO DIED IN 2004.

He was one of the most celebrated and influential screen and stage actors. Marlon Brando refused to play the rules of the Hollywood game, openly expressing his loathing for the film industry and for the very nature of celebrity. He was often exploiting his fame to bring attention to political causes.

Throughout his career, he earned eight Oscar nominations, (two wins) and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the academy, seven BAFTA nominations (three wins) and five Golden Globe nominations (four wins).

He was a strong critic of U.S. Foreign policy. As the civil rights movement gathered momentum in the early 1960s, Marlon Brando immediately offered his support to the black minorities, who were fighting for equality. But his appearance at a Black Panther rally in 1968 badly damaged his reputation, & is thought to have led to the creation of the Brando Blacklist. After, 1968, Brando did not work for three years.

Winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for the second time for 'the Godfather', he boycotted the Award ceremony & refused to accept the Award, sending Native American Right activist Sacheen Littlefeather to state his reasons for the refusal, namely his objections to the depiction of Native Americans by the movie and TV industry.

CHOSEN PARTS OF ARTICLE IN THR BY LACEY ROSE (September 16, 2015)

'...Conceived as either a 'hip-hop Lion in Winter' or a 'black Dynasty', depending on whether you ask Strong or his co-creator Lee Daniels ““ was more than just a hit. It was a full-blown cultural phenomenon, the likes of which network television had not produced in years. It became the first series in more than 20 years to increase its viewership with each successive episode, quickly earning high-profile fans in Oprah Winfrey, Jack Nickolson and Michelle Obama. Yes, black viewers made up 63% of the series' nearly 18 million weekly broadcast audience...

...it not only drew the youngest audience for a network drama, with a median age of 43, but also the most social...All of which has the advertising community salivating...'

'...we'd be cowards if we dealt with something like pop music and pop culture and we didn't deal with the things that are going on in our world today, wether it's mental illness, homophobia, racism, classicism, sexism or police brutality...'

'...Though he (Daniels) and his fellow producers won't reveal specific plot points, themes of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement will feature more prominently in the upcoming season, which will delve into Lucious' and cookie's pre-fame-and-fortune backstory...'

'...Daniels has talked about wanting to dramatize a wider range of the African-American experience in the series' second season...'

'“¦ Already, a star-studded premiere event was staged Sept. 12 at Carnegie Hall, with past and present guest stars, including Courtney Love, Naomi Campbell and Mariah Carey, dangling from Daniel's arms at the afterparty. Gold-plated Empire buses have been traveling around the country, brands like Pepsi have signed on as seasonlong sponsors and, soon, the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue will feature an exclusive Empire-inspired fashion collection from designers Cushnie et Ochs and Jimmy choo. There are more albums coming.... and discussions about a Glee-style concert tour with members of the cast continue...'

'...All summer long, The New york Post (which, like Empire, is a product of Rupert Murdoch) kept up a steady drumbeat of items about Howard's bitter battle with his second wife and a reported divorce from his third. When I connect with Walden a few weeks later, she emphatically denies the report. 'Taraji and Terence are the leads of this show, they are at the center of Empire, and we would never look to displace Terrence from that position', she says, suggesting that Howard's rôle, is anything, greater this season than last since he's doing significantly more performing and songwriting. 'honestly', she adds, 'it was a silly item that will be completely disproved once the show is on the air.'

'...His co-stars have been advised no to comment on the ongoing saga, but Daniels can't help himself. 'That poor boy', he says, fiercely protective of his actor. He then alludes to other actors who have been the subject of domestic abuse allegations in the past. '(Terence) ain't done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he's some f**in's demon', says Daniels. 'That's a sign of the time, of race, of where we are right now in America...'