Well, that's one way to defend yourself. Eva Green, who played Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, is currently involved in a court case in which she is suing a film production company, and the company is countersuing her. During a court appearance on Monday, Jan. 30, the actor was questioned about text messages she sent disparaging the film and people working on it, including calling them "weak and stupid." She claimed that it was her "Frenchness" talking.
Of course, there's more to the case than Green's rude messages. And some of the exchanges that happened in the courtroom sound like they could have come from a movie themselves. Read on for more about the lawsuit and the texts Green was confronted about in court.
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Green is suing over a failed production.
Denis Makarenko / ShutterstockAs reported by The Independent, Green is suing White Lantern Film for £810,000 (nearly $1 million), claiming that she should still be paid her fee even though production on the film A Patriot was canceled. The sci-fi movie stopped production in October 2019.
In response, White Lantern is countersuing Green claiming that she made "excessive creative and financial demands" and had expectations that were "incompatible" with the low-budget film. According to Variety, the company claims she undermined the production, because she wanted to buy out the script and make the movie herself.
Her messages were read in court.
Tinseltown / ShutterstockTexts and e-mails that Green had sent regarding the failing production were made public at the trial. Max Mallin, the lawyer for White Lantern Film, pointed out that Green wrote that producer Jake Seal was making a "cheap B movie" and that he was "evil" and "the devil." Additionally, she referred to local crew members as "[expletive] peasants... from Hampshire."
Green clarified during questioning that she meant she didn't want to work with people who were "inexperienced."
"I have nothing against peasants," Green said. Mallin replied, “Hence the use of the word [expletive]."
In a message to her agent, Green wrote, "I am very worried, they are super weak and stupid," which Mallin said was "presumably" in regards to another producer, Adam Merrifield, and the writer and director Dan Pringle.
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Green apologized for the tone of her texts.
Featureflash Photo Agency / ShutterstockAccording to The Independent, Green apologized for her words, calling them "horrible" and saying that she used "inappropriate language" in getting her point across.
She explained, "I don’t know ... it’s my Frenchness coming out sometimes. Sometimes you say things you don’t actually mean, of course they are not weak and stupid."
In another message, she wrote that someone was a "[expletive] inexperienced, pretentious moron." She said of this message, "I’m probably talking about Adam [Merrifield] at the time but it was an emotional response, I felt betrayed."
Green said that she "never wanted [A Patriot] to be a B-movie," but was determined to persevere even when the budget was being decreased. She explained that she didn't want corners to be cut, however, because that could lead to dangerous situations. As an example, she pointed to the tragedy on the film Rust, in which Halyna Hutchins was killed by a prop gun being used by star Alec Baldwin.
She said having her messages made public was "humiliating."
s_bukley / ShutterstockVariety reports that during the trial, Green said, "I was not expecting to have my WhatsApp messages exposed in court. It’s already very humiliating," and admitted that she had been "very direct" in them. The publication notes that the 42-year-old actor appeared to be relieved when she was done being questioned and went over to give Merrifield and Pringle a hug.
She also defended her reputation.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesArguing that she really did care about the film, Green said, as reported by The Independent, "I fell deeply in love with this project—not only the role, but also the message of the film. I couldn't imagine abandoning the film, as it would have been like abandoning my baby. It still feels that way." She added, "In the 20 years that I have been making films, I have never broken a contract or even missed one day of shooting."
In addition to Casino Royale, Green is known for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Dark Shadows, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and the TV series Penny Dreadful.
