Actor Files Lawsuit Against Oscars For False Imprisonment in Academy 'Detention Center'

By PopEater Staff Posted Apr 23rd 2010 07:30AM

Hollywood newcomer Michael Avmen thought attending the Academy Awards would be the highlight of his burgeoning career. Instead, the actor claims that he and his wife were "tentatively confirmed" guests, but were "held against their will" for six hours in the Academy's "detention center," interrogated about how they were able to get onto the red carpet without tickets and accused of lying and trespassing. FOXNews reports that Avmen has now filed a $50 million lawsuit against The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for illegal false imprisonment and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Avmen has small roles in three upcoming films this year -- 'Broken Blade,' 'Battle: Los Angeles' and 'Straw Dogs,' starring Kate Bosworth and Alexander Skarsgard.

According to a suit filed in Central District Superior Court in California, Avmen was told he'd been offered a tentative invitation to the event, but despite several attempts by Avmen and his publicist, they were unable to locate the tickets. It's not unusual for the Academy to hold tickets inside the venue; actors such as Robert Downey Jr. also received their tickets on the day of the event. Avmen claims he was led to believe his tickets were waiting for him there.

On the afternoon of March 7, Avmen and his wife dressed up for the Oscars and an usher for the event took them from their hotel to a "resolution desk," where Avmen met an Academy employee with whom he'd been in contact.

After six hours of interrogation, Avmen says uniformed Los Angeles police officers arrived and took them to the station, but no charges were filed. Avmen claims that the officer apologized profusely for how they were treated by Academy officials.

Avmen's lawsuit states that he and his wife were "injured in health, strength and activity" and "sustained injury to his and her body and shock and injury to their nervous system" and have since suffered "humiliation, mental anguish and emotional and physical distress."

"If I or some 'REGULAR' individual acted as the Academy did, we would be in prison right now. I will show that these people aren't above the law," Avmen said in a statement. "Security is one thing, but this was outside the realm of excessive. My wife and I have suffered, and there has been a great injustice enforced."

Comments

(98)

Friday 23 April

By femi

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The statement "Actors such as Robert Downey..." is grammatically correct. It's a fairly good report, I'd say.

By Jody

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OH PLEASE!.. I have waited at a doctor's office longer than that.. Get a life.. 50 million for being inconvenienced.. NOT.. I am sure there were others that were being questioned as well and they had to wait their turn... Regardless.. These lawsuits are ridiculous!

By Marc

If he didn't go dressed looking like Arafat, this wouldn't have happened.

By Michael

First off, somebody needs to check to see if this guy is living and working in the US legally. His bio says he was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela.

By philip

ONE big minute....humiliation YEs harm NO!
this guy is a low level actor and will write his own obit in the movie industry BUT has sold out, money makes little people BIG...in their own mind. 50 million? he will NEVER earn that much in movies....ridiculous amount t osue for...pain and suffering? GOT A CELL PHONE? call your publicist or the cops...UNLESS you WERE a gate CRASHER!!!!

By Uncledickierc

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Another "hollywood couple" trying to make millions off a ridiculous lawsuit because they will never make millions off their so-called acting careers.

By nic

hahaha i vote he gets an apology and the judge tells him to quit being so goddamned spoiled.

By butch

it's obama's fault!

By Nan Hahn (thinkingperson)

ROTFLMAO

Saturday 24 April

By Jan

Sounds like a publicity stunt by this actor for attention if you ask me. I'm sure he has blown it ALL out of proportion. He was probably real pushy and trying to fake his way in, now, he'll REALLY have trouble getting work in Hollywood! Like that couple that did it at the White House, THEY should have served jail time.

Monday 26 April

By mike

oh please..... what did they do... beat them up? i didnt read of any violence. we need this security working for the white house! and him being an actor, he just might regret having done this some day when he is never nominated for an award. sounds like publicity stunt.

By eaglestime

What a cheap publicity stunt. Perhaps he and his wife don't understand what "tentative" means. Perhaps they should have put it in plain english for this character. "You may or may not get in depending on confirmed guests participation". Tho thats probably to many words.
He probably would not make that much in his whole career with his attitude.

By bulldog

Send Avmen and his wife a nice DVD of the event with a little note attached. Appropriately "Enjoy and, have a nice day"..!!

By lolabull

This is pretty damn funny. But what I don't get is why anyone would first off all want to hobbknob with a bunch of people who make a living portraying other people than themselves, and secondly who would care enough about these same people that there would a shortage of tickets to begin with? I'll be glad when LiberalLand Shallowfornia finally breaks off into the Pacific.

By Denise Cook

I just wish they'd have printed a photo of Avmen to go with the story so I could (maybe) place a face to the name.

By andy

FIRST -- WHY WOULD ANYONE ALLOW A BUNCH OF RENT-A-COPS TO DETAIN YOU LET ALONE TOUCH YOU IN ANY WAY? THEY HAVE NO AUTHORITY WHAT SO EVER -- SECOND -- WELL WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM A GROUP LIKE SAG AND THEIR FELLOW MEMBERS? A VAST MAJORITY SUPPORTED FOR OBAMA -- CASE CLOSED

By rann948

Their "tickets" were at the door? LOL Sounds like the Obama gate-crashers.

By Lou

...after this, Mr.Avmen will probably continue to have "small roles" (if any).

By Hotstuff

so they showed up without tickets, were held for 6 hrs without being touched and now want 50 Million Dollars for emotional damage, and not being able to go see the AA's? dumb.

By jim

Hey ...... Idiot..... the word "Actors" is plural, but should not have been used in this situaltion. So using the word "theirs" is really ignorant, like you!

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