An actress who appears in the anti-Muslim film trailer that has been blamed for riots in the Middle East is suing the filmmaker for fraud and slander, and is asking a judge to order YouTube to take down the clip.
Cindy Lee Garcia’s lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles claims the actress was duped by Nakoula Basseley, the man behind “Innocence of Muslims” who has been forced into hiding since its 14-minute trailer rose to prominence last week. She was unaware of the film’s anti-Muslim content.
The lawsuit states Garcia responded to an ad and thought she was appearing in an ancient Egyptian adventure film called “Desert Warriors.” Dialogue in the amateurish film was later dubbed to include anti-Islamic messages.
“The film is vile and reprehensible,” Garcia’s attorney, M. Cris Armenta, wrote in the document. Her client has received death threats since the film’s trailer began drawing attention, and she is no longer able to care for her grandchildren, the lawsuit states.
YouTube has refused Garcia’s requests to remove the film, according to the lawsuit. The complaint contends that keeping it online violates her right of publicity, invades her privacy rights and the post-filming dialogue changes cast her in a false light.
Garcia had a legally protected interest in her privacy and the right to be free from having hateful words put in her mouth or being depicted as a bigot,” the lawsuit states.
