Andrew Greene, former executive of the stock brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont, filed suit against Paramount Pictures and other producers of the 2013 Blockbuster hit “Wolf of Wall Street” for more than $50 million in damages for defamation of character.
Greene claims the film portrayed him as a “toupee-wearing, prostitute loving, degenerate character named Nicky ‘Rugrat’ Koskoff”. The suit alleges that the scenes concerning Greene were false, defamatory, and fundamentally injurious to his professional reputation as an attorney, an investment banker, and his personal reputation. In response, Paramount Pictures stated, “no reasonable fact finder could claim that Nicky was a recognizable likeness of Andrew Greene.” Paramount further stated that Nicky was a “composite character” inspired by multiple individuals, including Greene.
Greene’s attorneys insist that Leonardo DiCaprio is necessary to testify because he was a “driving force” behind the film being produced and is knowledgeable regarding material issues in the case. According to court documents, DiCaprio’s account is necessary because he met with director and producer, Martin Scorsese, and screenwriter, Terence Winter, to discuss scenes and revisions during the script development process.
DiCaprio’s attorneys argued that his knowledge of the screenwriting is too limited to justify the burden of deposition and testifying in court and DiCaprio claims he is too busy for deposition. However, Greene’s lawyers offered to meet with DiCaprio in Los Angeles to accommodate his busy schedule.
On June 16, 2016, Honorable Steven Locke, a United States Magistrate Judge, granted Greene’s Motion to Compel DiCaprio’s Deposition. Greene’s attorneys are thrilled with Judge Locke’s order, stating, “they look forward to bringing justice on behalf of their client.”
Additional Reading:
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/leonardo-dicaprio-ordered-to-testify-in-wolf-of-wall-street-lawsuit_us_5767e823e4b0853f8bf14fa5
- http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/19/entertainment/leonardo-dicaprio-wolf-of-wall-street-defamation-case/
- http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/18/dicaprio-deposition-ordered-in-wolf-of-wall-street-lawsuit.html