Olivia de Havilland sues FX & Ryan Murphy over 'FEUD'

[Gabriel Maxwell]

It's never too late to initiate legal action in America, even if you're 101.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/arts/olivia-de-havilland-files-lawsuit-over-feud-portrayal.html

“FX defendants misappropriated Olivia de Havilland’s name, likeness and identity without her permission and used them falsely in order to exploit their own commercial interests,” the lawsuit says. Ms. de Havilland, 101, is seeking damages for “emotional harm” and “harm to her reputation,” and is also pushing for an injunction against the use of her name and likeness.

 

[Alexis]

Wow... Maybe Joan Fontaine was really lovely.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Wow... Maybe Joan Fontaine was really lovely.

Oh, no no.

 

[Toni]

Wow... Maybe Joan Fontaine was really lovely.

:fantastic:

 

[tommie]

Go Livvy (a nickname she probably hates, so I'm getting sued next).

 

[Toni]

When I finished "Feud", I said to my best friend who had watched it with me: "Wow, Bette & Joan even end up as "imaginary friends"...but Olivia comes across as a total b...h!" It doesn´t surprise me at all the news about this suit: between "Glee", "American Horror", "American Crime Story" and now "Feud", the scripts of his series and miniseries have often alluded and mocked famous characters and I think this had to happen sooner or later. You shouldn't mess up with a 101-year old star!!

"God is my witness that Melanie a saint ain´t"
​

PS: Mr. Murphy must be already writing "Feud 2": Fontaine vs. de Havilland (vs. moi)"

 

[Willie Oleson]

Feud 3:

 

[Toni]

Feud 3:

:idea: :fantastic: :girl:

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Olivia's suit is likely not so much punitive as preventative. There's been a lot of chatter for a while that Murphy would be doing a Joan Vs Olivia miniseries And Olivia is likely attempting to head that off.

It's just as well, because, as these things usually unfold, there will be the likely attempt to portray both sisters as equally right and equally wrong -- requiring making Olivia look bitchier, and Joan less bitchy, to achieve that. And deHavilland probably knows that.

Joan alienated and cut off what sounds like almost everybody in her life at one time or another -- including her mother and her own children, all of whom maintained a good relationship with Olivia throughout. And it seemed very important to Joan Fontaine to publicly project her jealousy onto her mother's preferred daughter, big sister Olivia, for eons.

So any prospective miniseries would and could only serve Fontaine's version of things, if only because it would try to show them as just and unjust equivalently.

As for the lawsuit itself, there are probably minimal legal grounds for it, so there will likely be a settlement and perhaps a shelving of the Joan Vs Olivia project for now.

 

[Alexis]

Yes, I was joking with my earlier post. Olivia is just lovely, and all my innards scream that Joan is devil woman with evil on her mind. And she's an awful actress too. She constantly seemed on the verge of being sucked up her own pinched anus in everything I saw her in.

 

[Toni]

FEUD 4: "Olivia de Havilland versus Olivia de Havilland´s long-lost twin sister".

"You dare to manipulate my career with your gay campy series,
Mr. Murphy, and I will send you my army of 100-year-old lawyers
to take you to court as long as you are aliiiiiive!
And you damn twin sister don´t play innocent because I do know
that you are just like (both) Joans: A beeeeeeech!!"​

"(Bitch please...) Hmmm, I can see the theme for
the 88th season of "American Horror Story": all the
deceased stars of classic Hollywood rise from their graves
and become crazy zombies who want revenge...Hmmm,
I think I love it."​

 

[Gabriel Maxwell]

An update on the lawsuit, FOX has responded, will fight back:

“The law on this is very clear: No permissions of any kind were required in order to tell the tale. Docudramas, such as this one, are original narrative works, based on real, verifiable facts and events. By the logic of Ms. de Havilland’s attorneys, no producer would be able to tell any stories about famous people, living or dead, without their consent. We respectfully disagree with Ms. de Havilland’s objections to her portrayal, and we stand by the content, including her portrayal, and will vigorously defend this project.”

http://deadline.com/2017/07/olivia-...trial-likely-ryan-murphy-fx-emmys-1202136007/

 

[Alexis]

I don't know about this. I mean if you are going to portray someone who is still living. I think you should contact or consult with them. Especially if you are wanting to portray them as they really are.