Film company sues Morgan Spurlock over sexual harassment admission

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/mar/28/film-maker-morgan-spurlock-sued-over-sexual-harassment

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Film-maker Morgan Spurlock has been sued over his admission of sexual harassment and misconduct.

Turner Entertainment Networks (TEN) filed a lawsuit against Spurlock in Los Angeles on Tuesday, claiming his confession – in an open letter posted on Twitter in December – scuppered a project about women’s issues they were due to make together.

The network claimed that repeated attempts to retrieve funds transferred to Warrior Poets, Spurlock’s former production company, have been met with “radio silence”.

Lawyers for TEN accuse Spurlock, 47, of breaching a contract by admitting sexual misconduct and for failing to return the funds.

Spurlock’s letter said he was “part of the problem” and detailed past sexual harassment and infidelity in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

He recounted a sexual encounter during his time at university that he believed was consensual, but the woman believed was rape. He also admitted paying a settlement to a woman at his office who he addressed as “hot pants” or “sex pants”.

YouTube Red dropped his sequel to 2004’s Super Size Me, Super Size Me 2 Holy Chicken!, after the admission.

The sum allegedly being held by Warrior Poets was not openly disclosed in the lawsuit.

TEN said Warrior Poets was due to produce a series called Who Rules the World?, which would focus on the “most divisive and complicated issues facing women today” including their experiences in the workplace.

The network also asked the judge to order an injunction on the bank account to prevent funds being “depleted”.

“Under information and belief, due to Spurlock’s Twitter confession and the resulting fall-out from the admissions, Warrior Poets is having serious internal problems and may not have the funds to compensate TEN for the breach of contract,” lawyer Neal Levin wrote.

Spurlock, also known for directing One Direction documentary This Is Us, said he was “seeking help” and hoped to be part of the solution by admitting his wrongdoings.