A judge has ordered “The Wolf of Wall Street,” aka Leonardo DiCaprio, to testify in a lawsuit against the filmmakers of the 2013 movie. You might think it would be flattering to have a character featured in a movie with one of the biggest stars of today based off of you, but businessman Andrew Greene claims that it portrayed him as a “criminal, a drug user and a degenerate.” Now he wants $25 million in damages.

@BBCWorld @LeoDiCaprio
Is he going to be questioned about The Titanic sinking as well?

— Paul_Ed (@eddo75) June 17, 2016

Greene is the former executive at the brokerage firm the film depicts, Stratton Oakmont, portrayed through the character Nicky “Rugrat” Koskoff, the guy with the bad toupee. DiCaprio plays the main character, Jordan Belfort, who founded Stratton Oakmont and made a fortune by defrauding investors.

Greene initially sued Paramount Pictures for over $50 million in 2014. Paramount claims that Koskoff, played by P.J. Byrne, is a mashup of multiple people and that Greene is just one of them. The hairpiece played a role in many jokes in both the movie and in Belfort’s memoir that the movie is based on.

Oh, it's not even about Jordan Belfort. It's about how Nicky Koskoff was portrayed to look bad in the film lol. pic.twitter.com/7BDABHMzRF

— Tea Lizard (@brettSTYX) June 17, 2016

The judge rejected Greene’s claims of defamation, but allowed him to change his suit to malicious libel. The plaintiff’s side wanted DiCaprio to testify since he played a big part in the production of the movie, but he has so far been “too busy.” The defendants claim that the accounts of director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Terence Winter should be enough. They have also argued that DiCaprio didn’t have any means of controlling other actors’ performances.

.@LeoDiCaprio is being asked to testify against the creators of Wolf of Wall Street in a defamation case. #9Today https://t.co/98ZIaOo6OA

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) June 15, 2016

But the judge sided with the plaintiffs, and has now ordered DiCaprio to court. However, the orders are vague, stating he should show up for his testimony “at a reasonable time and place agreed to by the parties.”

The real “Wolf of Wall Street,” Jordan Belfort, spent 22 months in prison for money laundering and fraud. He went on to write his biography and is still paying off debts to the victims of his financial schemes.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Leonardo DiCaprio to Testify in Lawsuit Against “The Wolf of Wall Street” appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to the RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through the top five controversial and crazy stories in the world of law and policy each day. So who is ranting and who is raving today? Check it out below:

Why Are People Overdosing On Anti-Diarrhea Drugs?

It seems like America’s drug problem has reached a bizarre new low. People are taking crazy high doses of anti-poop meds, like Imodium, to get high. Sounds like the plot of a comedy sketch, I know, but this is serious. The appeal comes from users being able to achieve heroin-like highs from taking 300 mgs of the meds at once. National poison control centers are reporting a 71 percent increase in calls involving anti-diarrhea drug overdoses, but the FDA doesn’t have enough information yet to tackle the issue.

WARNING: It’s a heroin like high, all from taking anti-diarrhea drugs. FDA issues warning. https://t.co/mxXMYoFaMg pic.twitter.com/RRBi8oXY9L

— Tim Williams (@realtimwilliams) June 8, 2016

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Welcome to the RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through the top five controversial and crazy stories in the world of law and policy each day. So who is ranting and who is raving today? Check it out below:

Officer Involved in Freddie Grey Death Acquitted of All Charges

The recent news that Edward Nero, one of the officers that may have been involved in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, has been found not guilty, struck some as a relief and  filled others with fear and anger. Since his death, Freddie Gray’s name has become a rallying cry for the fight against police brutality and for the Black Lives Matter movements. Despite the verdict, the story is far from over. Nero remains on administrative duty while the Baltimore Police Department continues an internal investigation on him and the five other police officers involved. Whether this event was a race and/or police brutality issue remains up for debate.

Baltimore Police Officer Edward Nero enters courthouse. Judge expected to issue verdict in Freddie Gray death trial.https://t.co/CawQGWcUQC

— AJ+ (@ajplus) May 23, 2016

Hollywood: A Haven For Pedophiles?

Not everything can be like they are in the movies, not even in Hollywood. This comes as no surprise to Elijah Wood, a former child star, best known for his role in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, who claims Hollywood has a problem with child predators. The shocking allegations first appeared in this weekend’s edition of the Sunday Times when the actor said “that Hollywood is in the grip of a child sexual abuse epidemic, with rich and powerful industry figures abusing child actors with impunity.” 

Elijah Wood honestly comments on the reality of abuse of child stars in Hollywood: https://t.co/lIuAW1JPNR pic.twitter.com/7KUveiKC3q

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) May 23, 2016

Bernie Sanders Pits Self against the Democratic Establishment

Bernie Sanders is shaking up the establishment. I mean, no surprise, that’s his whole shtick, right? But now he has officially declared war on the DNC by endorsing Debbie Wasserman-Schultz’s opponent Tim Canova, furthering an all-out divide in the Democratic party. Some worry that this divide leaves all hope for defeating Donald Trump teetering at the edge. Even some Bernie-or-Bust supporters are shaking in their boots and wondering where  quirky, cute old man Bernie went. One thing is for sure, tensions have skyrocketed.

.@BernieSanders: If I’m elected, the DNC chair is out https://t.co/Xzga5cCku3

— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) May 23, 2016

Four Die on Mount Everest

OMG. Like if you know you might die on the mountain, why the f*** climb the mountain? Four brave souls were taken by the formidable Mount Everest over the past weekend. More than 250 people have died on Everest since its first recorded ascent in 1953. The most common cause of death is altitude sickness from the infamously thin mountain air, or fatal swelling of the brain.

Scumbag Leo Takes Private Jet to Accept “Green” Award

We all know Leo DiCaprio, the guy who recently snagged an Oscar for “The Revenant” and never misses an opportunity to plug human and environmental rights whenever he’s in front of a mic. His Instagram is completely dedicated to supporting ocean wildlife and climate change yet, this week he is being called a huge hypocrite.

Why? For cashing in 8,000 miles in private jet time between New York and France while accepting awards and honors for environmental advocacy along the way. Lifestyles of the rich and famous activists are quite busy but was this just a major dick move?

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RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

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