Jared Leto is going to take another run at TMZ in the court system.
On Saturday, the day after a judge granted summary judgment to TMZ in a lawsuit Leto brought against the website, the “Suicide Squad” star vowed to appeal the decision.
“We are launching an appeal immediately and are confident the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will reverse this decision,” Leto said in a statement Saturday. “I hope that we will one day move toward a place where we ask how well we can treat one another rather than how badly.”
Leto filed a copyright infringement suit against TMZ in December, claiming that a video it published, in which Leto said that he didn’t “give a f–k” about Taylor Swift, was an “unauthorized or stolen copy,” and that the video was “private and confidential and not meant to be publicly released.”
On Friday, a judge saw things otherwise, ruling that the videographer, Naeem Munaf, was never an employee of Leto’s and and did not agree in writing to make the video a work-made-for-hire prior to shooting it in September 2015.
But in Saturday’s statement, Leto held firm that TMZ purchased “stolen goods.”
“It was wrong of TMZ to purchase stolen goods. It was wrong of TMZ to exploit material that did not belong to them,” Leto said. “Neither myself, nor the employee in question, have any confusion around the issue at hand – he was an employee who was hired to work for us and the footage he shot in the privacy of my home studio was owned by me.”
The actor also painted the issue in moral terms.
“We decided to fight back because it was the right thing to do. We will continue to fight because it is the right thing to do,” Leto said. “Using antiquated laws to find loopholes that hurt, shame and slander people in the name of ‘news’ isn’t just a legal issue, it is a moral one.”
Claiming that sworn testimony was ignored in the decision, Leto said that the ruling “rewards TMZ for their duplicity.”
“Ignoring the sworn testimony that both the videographer and I understood and agreed that I owned the footage, the decision rewards TMZ for their duplicity and further encourages them to publish materials they know to be stolen,” Leto said.
In the video, Leto was seen listening to Swift’s music for possible inspiration, but eventually declares: “I don’t give a f– about her.”
After the footage circulated, Leto tweeted an apology to Swift and her fans, writing: “The truth is I think @taylorswift13 is amazing + an incredible example of what’s possible. If I hurt her or her fans my sincerest apologies.”
In a lengthy statement accompanying the lawsuit, Leto said that he filed the suit in hopes of encouraging “more people to stop trafficking in stolen goods.”
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
15 Super-Fit Actors Over 40, From Ben Affleck to Jared Leto (Photos)
There's nothing like playing a superhero to motivate a middle-aged guy to get in shape. Our list of 15 ripped actors over 40 includes a lot of guys who look like they just stepped out of a comic book.
Omari Hardwick
The 42-year-old actor is seen au naturel a lot on his show "Power," much to the delight of his fan base.
The 54-year-old's impressive physique was front and center in last year's "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation," which featured his Ethan shirtless for a chunk of the film.
Mark Wahlberg
This 45-year-old former Calvin Klein model hasn't let himself go. Exhibit A is 2013's "Pain & Gain."
Robert Downey, Jr.
Marvel's marquee star packed on 25 pounds of muscle when he first donned Tony Stark's armor in the first "Iron Man" film, according to Men's Fitness.
Matt Damon
Damon, 45, looked fantastic when producer Frank Marshall tweeted this picture from the first day of production on "Jason Bourne."
Jason Statham
The action star, pushing 50, has studied Wing Chun, kung fu, karate, and kickboxing, according to TheLADBible. He follows a strict diet and workout regime. Obviously.
Ben Affleck
The 44-year-old actor spent almost two years getting in shape to become the buffest Batman ever.
Rob Lowe
At 52, the actor and self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie stays in shape by avoiding alcohol altogether and surfing and skiing, according to the Daily Mail.
Daniel Craig
The most bad-ass double-0 since Sean Connery spent months with a personal trainer to make himself look like a killing machine, Nerd Fitness reports.
Jared Leto
The 44-year-old "30 Seconds to Mars" frontman has been in the same shape since his 20s. How does he do it? Leto put it down to two main factors in his interview with Rolling Stone. “Twenty solid years of eating vegetarian/vegan and taking care of myself,” Leto told the magazine. “It’s probably just down to sleep and diet.”
Terry Crews
The 48-year-old former NFL player and "Old Spice" pitchman told bodybuilding.com, "I always stay about two weeks out from being able take my shirt off. There's no off-season for me. I don't like this whole bulking up and getting down thing. You should be ready to look good all the time."
Dwayne "The Rock' Johnson
The actor has perhaps the strictest workout regimen in all of Hollywood.
"I start working out pretty early, around 4 a.m. When I'm filming, I do cardio and I lift before going to set. I train about six days a week, and even when I'm not filming I get up between 3 and 5 a.m. just to train. I love training when the sun is coming up because it allows me to put on my headphones and step off the crazy treadmill that is everyone's life," he told bodybuilding.com
JK Simmons
At 61, the Oscar winner is the oldest on this list. He sported impressive arms as he prepared to play Commissioner Gordon in the DC Universe.
Hugh Jackman
The 44-year-old "Wolverine" actor has had an impressive 16-year run as his signature character, and has set the gold standard for physiques in superhero movies.
Joe Maganiello
Honorable mention: The "Magic Mike" star & fitness-book author is just three months shy of turning 40. However, we're confident he'll still be in shape when he faces off against Ben Aflleck's Batman as Deathstroke.
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Superhero movies have ushered in an era of actors looking incredible on screen
There's nothing like playing a superhero to motivate a middle-aged guy to get in shape. Our list of 15 ripped actors over 40 includes a lot of guys who look like they just stepped out of a comic book.
