“Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin was responsible for his own death in June at age 27, according to legal papers filed by a car dealership this week.
In an answer to a lawsuit filed by Yelchin’s parents, Valencia CJD denies liability in the actor’s death and lays blame for the fatal incident at the his feet.
“Defendant alleges the injuries and damages, if any, or which the plaintiffs complain were caused and/or contributed to by the negligence of plaintiffs’ decedent which bars any recovery herein or the alleged damages of plaintiffs, in any, are reduced according to law,” Valencia CJD said in its filing with Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday.
Yelchin was killed after his car pinned him between a brick mailbox and a security gate at his Studio City, California, home.
Yelchin reportedly owned a late-model Jeep Grand Cherokee, which might have been one of the vehicles subjected to a voluntary recall due to a risk of “rollaway.”
In August, Yelchin’s parents filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Valencia CJD, Jeep manufacturer FCA US and others.
“Plaintiffs … allege that the Subject Vehicle along with the Subject Gear Selector failed to meet the reasonable expectations of safety for the class of persons of which Decedent and Plaintiffs were members,” the lawsuit reads.
In its answer to the lawsuit, Valencia CJD also claimed that modification to the car might also be to blame for the incident.
“Defendant alleges the damages allegedly sustained by plaintiffs were the proximate result of plaintiffs’, decedent’s or other’s misuse, misapplication or damage of the product or modification, repair and/or maintenance of the product involved which failed to conform with defendant’s specifications,” CJD’s answer read.
The suit claims that Yelchin’s parents have “incurred substantial funeral and burial expenses” and have suffered “the loss of Decedent’s love, companionship, guidance, comfort, society, solace, moral support financial support and physical assistance.”
Alleging negligent product liability, breach of warranty and negligence (wrongful death and personal injuries), the suit seeks unspecified damages.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
Chadwick Boseman and 15 Other Memorable Posthumous Movie Performances (Photos)
Chadwick Boseman, beloved by audiences around the world for his work in "Black Panther," has now earned an Oscar nomination for his final film performance in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" as a talented but hot-headed musician betrayed and exploited by white producers. Deaths in Hollywood have turned several films into impromptu tributes to dearly-departed actors, serving as a final testament to their work.
Netflix
By far the most famous posthumous performance is Heath Ledger's chilling portrayal of the Joker in "The Dark Knight." Ledger's Oscar-winning work showed just how evil and dangerous Batman's greatest adversary can be, as he sought to destroy humanity's ideals and drag Gotham down into nihilistic chaos.
Warner Bros.
Alan Rickman's final live action role was in the military thriller "Eye In The Sky." Rickman played Lt. Gen. Frank Benson, a British Army official who debates with Parliament members over whether they should attack a terrorist compound with a drone strike that might kill an innocent girl in the crossfire.
Bruce Lee is now considered to be a martial arts legend around the world, but for much of his life his fame was mostly confined to Hong Kong. "Enter The Dragon," the first film released after his death in 1973, became his breakthrough hit.
Warner Bros.
Just weeks before the release of "Star Trek: Beyond," Anton Yelchin was killed in a freak accident at his house at the age of 27. While he would be seen in other films like "Thoroughbreds," his final performance as Pavel Chekhov in the "Trek" reboot films became the most poignant.
Paramount
Bruce Lee's son, Brandon, was tragically killed while filming the noir superhero film, "The Crow." Lee played the titular dark vigilante, who is brought back from the dead by a mystical crow to hunt down the gang that killed him and his wife. The film was praised for its bold visual style, with Roger Ebert declaring that Lee had made a cinematic marvel that surpassed that of his father's.
Miramax
Another star whose magnum opus came out after his death was famed bad boy James Dean. He got an Oscar nomination and worldwide acclaim for his performance in "East of Eden," but the teen angst classic that he is most known for today, "Rebel Without A Cause," was released a month after Dean died in a car crash.
Getty
Paul Walker, star of the "Fast & Furious" series, was also killed in a car crash, forcing the crew of "Furious 7" to retool the script. The film had Walker's character, Brian O'Connor, retire from Dominic Toretto's team and ended with Dom and Brian exchanging some parting words.
Philip Seymour Hoffman had several films in the can when he died in February 2014, including a lead role in an adaptation of John Le Carre's "A Most Wanted Man." But his most prominent posthumous role was in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" as District 13 strategist Plutarch Heavensbee.
Lionsgate
The 1961 Arthur Miller drama "The Misfits" is a melancholy milestone in movie history. The film features Clark Gable in his final performance, as he died 10 days after filming. It was also the last role for Marilyn Monroe, who struggled with substance abuse during filming and died 18 months after its release. Modern critics consider "The Misfits" to be one of the finest films in the careers of both actors.
Wikimedia Commons
Bela Lugosi is a legend of early horror films, which makes it somewhat ironic that his final project is one of the most infamous bombs of all time. Lugosi had been working with "Plan 9" director Ed Wood on other projects, but after Lugosi's death, Wood included some of the silent footage from them in "Plan 9" and gave him top billing.
Wikimedia Commons
Orson Welles is best known for "Citizen Kane," but the last role of his career is utterly bizarre. Released nine months after his death, "Transformers: The Movie" featured Welles as the voice of Unicron, a planet-sized robot who seeks to consume the entire universe.
James Gandolfini will forever be known for being the ultimate mob boss, Tony Soprano. But in his final film, "The Drop," Gandolfini played a crook who was far removed from Tony's confidence and power. He starred alongside Tom Hardy as Marv, a bar owner whose establishment keeps money for the Chechnyan mob.
Fox Searchlight
Along with Laurence Olivier, Spencer Tracy holds the record for most Best Actor Oscar nominations, with the ninth and final nomination coming for a film released six months after his death. That film was "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner," in which Tracy played the worried father of a white woman marrying a black man. The film became famous for challenging prejudice against interracial couples, as well as the limits of liberal tolerance.
Columbia Pictures
Peter Finch's final performance was as the mad prophet of the airwaves, Howard Beale, in the legendary satire "Network." Unlike the other films on this list, "Network" came out before Finch's death. However, Finch died before winning an Oscar for the role, making him the only actor to posthumously win an Oscar for a leading role.
United Artists
"Star Wars" fans mourned when Carrie Fisher died at the end of 2016, making Leia Organa's reunion with Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" even more poignant a year later. Fisher also appeared via archival and unused footage in "The Rise of Skywalker" in 2019.
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Tragic deaths have turned films like “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Enter The Dragon” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” into impromptu sendoffs
Chadwick Boseman, beloved by audiences around the world for his work in "Black Panther," has now earned an Oscar nomination for his final film performance in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" as a talented but hot-headed musician betrayed and exploited by white producers. Deaths in Hollywood have turned several films into impromptu tributes to dearly-departed actors, serving as a final testament to their work.
Netflix
Warner Bros.
