Gotta give Olivia de Havilland credit on one front, at least — she’s tenacious.
“Gone With the Wind” star de Havilland, 101, is taking another shot at her lawsuit against FX over her portrayal in the FX offering “Feud,” filing a petition asking the California Supreme Court to review an appeals court’s opinion.
De Havilland initially filed suit against FX in June 2017, alleging that her identity was used without her authorization in the FX series, and that the actress, who was portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the miniseries, was placed in a false light.
An appeals court threw out the lawsuit in March, citing the First Amendment, but now the actress is asking the California Supreme Court to take a look.
In a press release issued Friday, de Havilland’s attorney, Suzelle Smith, said that allowing the appeals court’s opinion to stand would “infringe on the Constitutional right to a trial by jury not only of Miss de Havilland, but for any person in a similar situation, whether a celebrity or not.”
“This puts everyone at the mercy of the media and entertainment industry, which may find that false statements and fake news sell better than the truth,” said Smith.
She continued, “No filmmaker, biographer or reporter with integrity can support the Court of Appeal decision. It rewards the unscrupulous and will put those who investigate and seek to tell the public the truth at an economic disadvantage.”
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.