We couldn’t pass up reporting on a suit involving that mess of characters, so forgive us for the lack of BigLaw connection (although there is a big lawyer who prefers to fly solo most of the time).
Around here, we believe “If you’re going to [sue/steal/insider trade/insult your boss], do it big.” In this case, noted gossip columnist Roger Friedman has filed a claim against his former employer Fox News and related parties 20th Century Fox, Newscorp and, just to give a face to the name, a guy named Rupert Murdoch. And to add some icing on this seven-layer scandal cake, throw in some Scientology.
The sordid details, after the jump.
Friedman, writing a gossip column called 411 for Fox News, reviewed a version of the movie “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and gave it, by all appearances, a good review (if his colleagues’ emails, referred to in the attached claim are to be believed).
One problem – Wolverine had yet to be released. Fox News claims Friedman reviewed a pirated copy. Friedman claims that Murdoch himself (!) had been in possession of an unreleased copy of Wolverine and that it was this copy that found its way onto the internet and was later reviewed by Friedman.
Why would Fox News chief Murdoch have a copy of an unreleased movie? Maybe because sister company 20th Century Fox was distributing the film! He fired his reporter for writing a good review about his own movie.
Murdoch kicking his feet up on the ottoman with a big popcorn to watch a pirated Wolverine copy isn’t even the least-plausible claim.
Friedman also said in the complaint that a subsequent personal attack on him in a well-known movie blog was motivated by Scientologists, a group that he had written about and was famous for retribution on its critics. How does this all fit together? Friedman has emails of his superiors defending him against these personal attacks and suborning his column, purportedly taking down his column and backtracking later at the direction of Murdoch. So what’s a boy to do?
Get a big gun on Murdoch and hire super-litigator Martin Garbus. Described as one the world’s fiercest trial lawyers, he may be the only man around who has the superhuman strength to wage war against such a perceived Lex Luthor as Rupert Murdoch (please forgive us for the DC Comics reference in a piece about a Marvel property). After all, this is the same guy who manages to rake President Obama over the coals and simultaneously (and shamelessly) self-promote.
Something else is a little fishy here – Garbus’s solo website lists as a client 20th Century Fox, the very party he is suing on behalf of Roger Friedman. Not sure, but this looks like it may be a conflict.
Friedman v. Fox News
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Friedman should also demand reimbursement for his time spent watching that tripe. It was horrible.
yeah, I expected more. my best friend growing up named his cat after Logan/Wolverine. that was almost as blasphemous as the movie was to the original X-Men comics.