Top 10 Craziest Reasons Stars Were Sued

If the allegations in this lawsuit are to be believed, record executive and notoriously acerbic reality TV judge Simon Cowell can add shoe thief to his resumé. Cowell and then-partner Terri Seymour were named in a 2009 lawsuit by a woman who applied to be their personal chef. She says they made her take off her $500 orthopedic shoes and never returned them. Unlike most celebrity cases, this one landed in small-claims court, with only $660 on the line. Cowell insisted he was innocent and that the couple made attempts to return the pair. The suit was settled upon the return of the shoes.

When the pop star announced her second lockdown album, Evermore, a struggling amusement park in Utah saw an opening for a major lawsuit. Evermore Park sued the pop star for copyright infringement and damaging the parks reputation. However, the announcement of the album actually led to the park showing up in more internet searches than ever. In a hilarious turn of events, Swift filed a countersuit. The park had an attraction with on-theme musicians who sang and played acoustic versions of popular songs without the proper license. Some of those songs were originally written and recorded by none other than Taylor Swift herself. The park wasnt going to get the payday they might have expected, and both sides dropped the claims. Evermore has since closed.

Mega-celebrities are always the subject of weird and wild claims. Surrogacy rumors dogged Beyoncé and Jay-Z after the birth of their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. They were sparked again by a 2014 lawsuit. Brought by a woman named Tina Seals, the lawsuit leveled allegations that the couple engaged Seals as a surrogate. The claims were immediately dismissed, with a judge deeming them irrational and frivolous. Seals has also sued Mariah Carey, and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, but offered to drop the latter suit if West offered her son a record deal.

Breaking into Hollywood as a writer is famously difficult. It requires talent, access, and eyes on your work. Jo Anne Vandegriff thought of an innovative way to get some industry bigwigs to see her work. She sued them. Vandegriff allegedly tried to haul stars Halle Berry, Amanda Bynes, and Armie Hammer into court just so they could read and eventually star in her miniseries script. Although the nature of the lawsuit is unknown, it seems that the high-profile court case Vandegriff probably wanted never took place. Needless to say, neither did her epic Civil War-set miniseries.

While the circumstances surrounding this lawsuit are devastating, the case itself is absolutely bizarre. In 2008, Hüseyin Kalkan, mayor of a Turkish city called Batman, sued The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan for using the citys name for the character. Several things stand out here, one of which is that Batman existed for decades before Nolan began making his trilogy. However, The Dark Knight was the most popular movie of 2008. Kalkan tied a series of murders and instances of citizens taking their own lives to the negative effects of the characters renewed popularity. The lawsuit seemingly came to an end after Kalkans arrest in an unrelated case for promoting terrorism.

Fame can be hard to adjust to. Its especially hard if youre not actually a famous person. For years, former Chicago Bulls all-star Michael Jordan was one of the most famous athletes ever, and Allen Heckard was tired of it. For years, he put up with being mistaken for the NBA superstar. According to Heckard, his resemblance to Jordan led to him being harassed in public spaces. He sued Jordan and Nike, the sportswear company that employed him as a celebrity spokesperson, for his trouble. Heckard abandoned his $400 million+ claim. If notoriety was his issue, a high-profile lawsuit wouldnt help.

Anyone whos watched a court show knows about the term unclean hands. Well, Jennifer McBride found out the hard way. She returned pop star Lady Gagas dogs after they were stolen and dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was shot during the theft. Gaga offered a reward of $500,000 for their return. McBride attempted to collect, but it soon came out that she was involved in the crime and was charged as an accessory. In an act of absolute hubris, she sued Gaga for not paying her the reward. Fortunately, the law was on Gagas side, not about to let McBride benefit from the crime.

Every once in a while, someone from a celebritys past comes forward with a story about how mean they were. Kristina Karos lawsuit against That 70s Show star Mila Kunis was almost too crazy to believe. Karo alleged that Kunis stole her pet chicken when they were children in Ukraine. She also alleged to have filed a $5,000 lawsuit over it. In a video that found its way to social media, Kunis was clearly upset by the accusation. Still, she couldnt help but note that Karo was trying to launch a music career around the time the suit made headlines. As far as frivolous lawsuits go, this one is pure poultry uh, poetry.

Denver DJ David Mueller tried to drum up sympathy with a lawsuit alleging that global pop sensation Taylor Swift got him unjustly fired from his radio gig. Swifts countersuit revealed the true story. Mueller had inappropriate physical contact with Swift during a photo op. He was indeed fired from his local radio station as a result. He then had the nerve to sue her for defamation, saying the allegation threatened his livelihood. The jury was unconvinced, and the judge even believed he destroyed key evidence. Mueller maintained his innocence even after he lost his suit and she won hers. Luckily for him, Swift only sued him for $1. Mueller has since continued working as a DJ in other cities.

Seven years after Terry Sanderson and Oscar winner/lifestyle brand mogul Gwyneth Paltrow collided while skiing, the incident was litigated before our eyes. Sanderson sued Paltrow, alleging her actions caused the accident and the subsequent long-term damage. Paltrow countersued, alleging that he was at fault for the whole incident. The internet watched as the case provided unintentional comedy at every turn. Emerging victorious, Paltrow made her grand exit, whispering the words I wish you well like the kiss of death in Sandersons ear. We cant be too mad about this one, if only because it was so entertaining to watch.


Did we cover your favorite wacky celebrity lawsuit? Tell us in the comments.