Actress sues Amazon for more than a million dollars

[HomeInMyShoes]

^Agreed.

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I was thinking it was something like that.

If IMDB is owned by Amazon it makes sense. PLUS she probably has an amazon account...and Amazon requires a lot of information. They do not really tell you what they use the info for.

Even if it's not the law right now, it should be that we know what the information that is collected is used for. We also need to be notified of changes to those policies that may arise in the future. Just because I gave you my address and age back when you didn't distribute information to other parties, you do need to allow me to say no to future distribution or display.

I still agree with most that she probably doesn't have a case here, but we really do need a few more facts.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Daithi

She claims she was harmed because she is almost 40 but looks much younger, and studios wouldn't want to hire her if they knew she was almost 40.
.

These kinds of lawsuits usually open with a minor band and end with a whimper when they get thrown out of court or settled for pennies on the dollar.

What I find eye-roll worthy is the assertion that the studios won't hire her because of her age even though she looks "much younger." Really, now? Those the same studios that routinely cast thirty-somethings as teenagers? Hollywood, where appearance is all that matters?

Yes, Hollywood routinely casts aside actresses once they get too old to pass as young adults, but that usually happens when they start looking their real age, usually way past 40. And there are plenty of actresses still playing romantic leads while pushing 50. The miracles of cosmetic surgery. ("Thats not a dimple on her chin, it's her bellybutton.")

As for who it might be, I wouldn't look to any high visibility veteran. Those have enough of a track record that hiding their age just isn't feasible. If you must speculate, look for someone like Kristin Kreuk. (Though she is canadian, not texan.)

[JoHunt]

Originally Posted by abookreader

I really want to know who it is so I can laugh at her.

Rumors floating around the web speculate that it's either Nicole Bilderback or Celine Joëlle Tran, whoever they are ...

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

These kinds of lawsuits usually open with a minor band and end with a whimper when they get thrown out of court or settled for pennies on the dollar.

What I find eye-roll worthy is the assertion that the studios won't hire her because of her age even though she looks "much younger." Really, now? Those the same studios that routinely cast thirty-somethings as teenagers? Hollywood, where appearance is all that matters?

Yes, Hollywood routinely casts aside actresses once they get too old to pass as young adults, but that usually happens when they start looking their real age, usually way past 40. And there are plenty of actresses still playing romantic leads while pushing 50. The miracles of cosmetic surgery. ("Thats not a dimple on her chin, it's her bellybutton.")

As for who it might be, I wouldn't look to any high visibility veteran. Those have enough of a track record that hiding their age just isn't feasible. If you must speculate, look for someone like Kristin Kreuk. (Though she is canadian, not texan.)

If IMDpro has a feature where casting agencies can run a search for actors and use age limits as exclusion/inclusion criteria in the search, you can see why she would be miffed.

Not that I agree with her. As a paid service, IMDpro probably has a legal obligation to provide accurate information when it comes to quantifiable facts, and the casting agencies probably wouldn't like them to falsify these facts.

The basic crux of the matter is the source of their information and their right to use said source without explicit permission from the actress.

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by abookreader

I really want to know who it is so I can laugh at her.

[Keryl Raist]

I'd be astounded if this doesn't get tossed out of court. It's such a tenuous connection at best, and with so many legitimate ways to get a birthdate...

I really hope it gets tossed. I know civil suits have a different standard of proof than criminal ones, but unless she's got proof that Amazon did it, this sounds like legal harassment.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Keryl Raist

I really hope it gets tossed. I know civil suits have a different standard of proof than criminal ones, but unless she's got proof that Amazon did it, this sounds like legal harassment.

It's a great shame that the US doesn't adopt the British practice of the loser of a court case having to pay the legal costs of both sides. It's s great discouragement to frivolous lawsuits.

[Keryl Raist]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's a great shame that the US doesn't adopt the British practice of the loser of a court case having to pay the legal costs of both sides. It's s great discouragement to frivolous lawsuits.

Though I agree with you, the counter argument is that legal cases are so expensive in this country that it would discourage way too many legitimate cases for fear of losing. I still think doing it looser pays all would be a net benefit, but I can understand the other side is afraid that civil justice will become a rich only luxury.

[HistoryWes]

I don't think anybody pointed out that IMDB (and Wikipedia) has birth dates for just about any actor.

[CommonReader]

Hey, she is only living the new American Dream: "stay at home and get rich by suing someone". It's only topped by: "go to Wall St. and get rich by being bailed out by the tax payer".

[Dulin's Books]

hmm... why wouldnt the studios already know her birth date? they have to file tax reports just as any one else so she would have listed her info on what ever tax forms she filed when being hired.

[afa]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

If you must speculate, look for someone like Kristin Kreuk. (Though she is canadian, not texan.)

While by no means and A-list star, I would say Kreuk is still far too well-known for such a tactic. Besides, I'm pretty sure she is well under 40. I seem to recall reading somewhere that she was in her late teens or early twenties when she was cast as Lana Lang in Smallville. If that is correct, then she would be no more than early 30s right now.

I can only imagine that this person is someone who is all but unknown.

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

hmm... why wouldnt the studios already know her birth date? they have to file tax reports just as any one else so she would have listed her info on what ever tax forms she filed when being hired.

Now that is an excellent point.


*EDIT* Just checked Kristen Kreuk out on Wiki, and she was born on December 30, 1982. Not only is she well under 40, but is over 5 months younger than I am.

[taustin]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

What I find eye-roll worthy is the assertion that the studios won't hire her because of her age even though she looks "much younger." Really, now? Those the same studios that routinely cast thirty-somethings as teenagers? Hollywood, where appearance is all that matters?

Apparently, the suit alleges that she looks so much younger that she can't get roles appropriate for her actual age because she looks too young.

Yeah, there's theoretically an real issue here, in that IMDB may have collected information for one purpose, and used it for another without permission (and if that information involved some kind of credit check, yeah, that's a genuine issue), but this is more about narcisissm than any real legal issue, and probably more even than greed.

[Daithi]

Originally Posted by afa

While by no means and A-list star, I would say Kreuk is still far too well-known for such a tactic. Besides, I'm pretty sure she is well under 40. I seem to recall reading somewhere that she was in her late teens or early twenties when she was cast as Lana Lang in Smallville. If that is correct, then she would be no more than early 30s right now...

Nicole Bilderback looks like a good candidate. (hat tip to joehunt)

[montsnmags]

The eye of an occasional cynic sees a possibly less-than-"A-list" actress/celebrity using a law suit and the resultant Streisand Effect to raise her profile and possibly alter her casting type (to something more "mature") or emphasise her existing one. If the news media starts reporting this all over as "news", I would place money on a PR agent providing them with at least half their copy.

But I'm in a bad mood today, so take my cynicism with a grain of salt.