New York – Woody Allen agreed Monday to a $5 million settlement in his lawsuit accusing a trendy clothing company of using an image parodying him as a rabbi without his permission.
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Both sides announced the settlement — to be paid by American Apparel’s insurance company — on the morning a trial was to start in federal court in Manhattan.
Reading from a statement outside court, Allen said he hoped the outcome “would discourage American Apparel or anyone else from ever trying such a thing again.”
American Apparel president Dov Charney told reporters it wasn’t his decision to settle. The company’s insurance company “controlled the defense” in the case, he said.
“I’m not sorry of expressing myself,” he said.
Allen, 72, sued the clothier last year for $10 million after the advertisements turned up on billboards in Hollywood and New York, and on a Web site. Using a frame from the film “Annie Hall,” the ads depicted Allen as a Hasidic Jew — long beard, side curls, black hat — and featured Yiddish text meaning “the holy rebbe.”
Court papers filed on Allen’s behalf had described the actor-director as one of the most influential figures in the history of American film, and say he believes maintaining strict control over his image has been critical to his success.
The papers claimed Allen hasn’t done commercials in the United States since 1960s, when he was a struggling standup comic. The billboards, he says, falsely implied he endorsed a clothing line known for its racy advertising — a “blatant misappropriation and commercial use of Allen’s image.”
American Apparel lawyers have called the $10 million demand “outrageous,” especially since the billboards were taken down after a week. They also have threatened to call Allen’s former longtime companion, actress Mia Farrow, and his current wife, Soon-Yi Previn, as witnesses to show that his image has already been devalued by scandal. Previn is Farrow’s adopted daughter.
Farrow starred in several of Allen’s movies, including “Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Their relationship ended in 1992, when she discovered he was having an affair with Previn, then 22.
On Monday, Allen blasted American Apparel, calling their First Amendment defense “sheer nonsense,” and accusing of it of trying “to smear me.”
Charney insisted there were no hard feelings, saying the billboards were misunderstood.
“We would never try to malign the dignity of Mr. Allen,” he said. “I have respect for Mr. Allen. … I hope to meet him on more friendly terms at a different point.”
His reputation tarnished by the scandal??? Seems to me the lefty loberal hollywood eshtablishment still loves him and he still makes movies and people still pay to see them. Wonder if they would also pay to see OJ play?
“We would never try to malign the dignity of Mr. Allen,” he said. “I have respect for Mr. Allen. … I hope to meet him on more friendly terms at a different point”
Amazing how they changed their atitude so quickly…this is a good outcome and show that you cannot insult an ehrleche yid such as Woody Allen and not be held into account. Hopefully, they and others will learn from this expensive lesson on slander.
The picture in question was from a scene in “Annie Hall” where he is visiting his shiksa girlfriend (played by Diane Keaton, who was his real-life girlfriend for many years), and her grauber anti-semitic grandmother takes a look at him and only sees a Hasid. It’s a joke he used every so often back in the days when he was actually funny (he also used it in “Take The Money And Run”). Slander – mneh. Violation of copyright, yes.
That was his last funny full-length movie, and that was over 30 years ago. Although he did write one hilarious line for a short movie called “Oedipus Wrecks” for Mia Farrow, where she said “I don’t think your mother likes me too much, oh, and by the way, what is a kurveh?”
What a joke !!! He will laugh all the way to the bank.
Does he know what it is to walk the streets of NYC and have bottles and garbage thrown at him? Let him give the millions to tzeddakah. We should all collect millions for our insults.
ehrlich has nothing to do with religion . u can be ehrlich which means honest and be a goy too. the very fact that you are in cahoots with SMR is no wonder why you have no clue of ehrlichkiet.
This Voody Alen belongs in the movies………….the malach hamovies!
the owner of American Apparel, Dov Charney, is a charachter. we have not heard the last of him. a few years ago he got my friend in Montreal to pose for a picture for him, he then used his picture without permission for advertisements. he has a fetish with chassidishe yidden.
what does this have to do with the company american apparel? nothing. how silly
…I’m looking at this whole “affair” from a different angle! Who knows how many of us would (wood/y) look like him (ח”ו) with our beard removed and without the Chassidic Levush?! Why do I say “ch”v”?! because his “Pintele Yid” is buried under tons of dirt! He is a failure on all fronts. Among his own crowd he’s known as a tightwad not giving or being active in any charitable causes or organizations. And his own personal morality leaves a lot to be desired. As a matter of fact he was universally condemned for a certain act/ion, even by the [moral] standards of today!!!
eherlich means honest, period ! nothing more nothing less. nothing to do with religion whatsoever. for example SMR is NOT eherlich