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Jennifer Lopez Gets Favorable Ruling In Film Lawsuit

A court prevents movie which could have defaming information for Lopez.

A state appeals court dismissed a lawsuit Monday filed by an Azusa resident who claimed actor/singer Jennifer Lopez had interfered with a proposed film about her life.

Lopez wins a case over a proposed film which could damage her celebrity status
Lopez wins a case over a proposed film which could damage her celebrity status

Resident Claudia Vasquez planned to make a movie with Lopez's first husband, Ojani Noa, and writer Ed Meyer which would be a "comedic parody of Noa's life crafted almost entirely from the material that is already in the public domain."

Lopez claimed the movie would have dealt in part with her first marriage which would reveal information that could damage her career and cause the public to "think badly" of her.

"I believe that Noa's and Meyer's dissemination of private and intimate details about me, whether true or fabricated, and my alleged relationship with Noa and also their exploiting false and disparaging descriptions and lies about me are highly damaging to me and to my career in the entertainment industry," Lopez stated.

A three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal found that current law prevents the current lawsuit by Vasquez from going forward.

"The litigation privilege bars all of the plaintiff’s claims and the trial court had made a mistake in denying the motion," Justice Grimes wrote in the unanimous 12-page opinion.

In November 2009, Lopez sued for an injunction against Meyer and Noa, alleging invasion of privacy. The injunction stopped them from distributing home videos from the brief marriage.

In response, Vasquez sued Lopez, claiming that nearly all the material was in the public domain. Additionally, Vasquez maintained the injunction halted her ability to produce and market the film. She also claims that Lopez's attorney threatened her.

Lopez submitted a sworn statement with her lawyer's court papers explaining her concerns if the film was made.

"I believe that Noa will damage my reputation with movie producers and businesses which contract with celebrities for the use of their names, likenesses and spokesperson services for commercial endorsements and may very well cause some members of the movie-going and record-buying public to think badly of me," Lopez stated.

However, Lopez already believes that her image has been damaged.

"It may be impossible or very difficult for me to ever know or prove what acting roles and other employment and endorsement opportunities that I did not obtain, or the actual amount of lost compensation, which are a direct result of Noa's statements, scripts, interviews, files, private video, book manuscripts and other things," Lopez stated.

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