Abigail Breslin has been named in a lawsuit claiming that her "specious" allegations of workplace misconduct against her co-star, Aaron Eckhart, have cost the upcoming spy thriller Classified a total of $80,000. However, the Little Miss Sunshine actress "categorically denies" the claims listed in the suit.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday and obtained by Rolling Stone, "the entire production almost ground to a halt when Breslin advised the production of Eckhart’s [allegedly] aggressive, demeaning, and unprofessional behavior which she insisted placed her at various times in peril."
The producers said that they were unaware if Breslin confronted Eckhart about the alleged abuse, however, they did note that Breslin sent a letter to the Screen Actors Guild "setting forth her fears and blasting Mr. Eckhart’s behavior."
"In order for the production to continue … Breslin refused to be alone in several scenes with Eckhart, and costly accommodations had to be made," the filing reads. It further claims that the finished movie now is facing possible "delivery issues" because there are "few scenes" in which Breslin and Eckhart appear onscreen together.
The plaintiffs, Dream Team Studios and WM Holdings, state that the film's on-set producer found "no evidence in support of Breslin’s wild, hysterical and imaginary allegations against Eckhart" after conducting a "detailed" investigation. Breslin is also accused of holding up the film's release by allegedly demanding a payment of $35,000 as a "condition" of signing her final agreement, which is also dependent for claiming tax credits in Malta, where the movie was evidently filmed.
A rep for Breslin told Rolling Stone that the 27-year-old “is not aware of any action filed against her and has not been served with any legal notice," and that "Ms. Breslin categorically denies all contended allegations and unequivocally stands by her statement which she provided confidentially to SAG."
Meanwhile, a representative for Eckhart has not responded to a request for comment.
Oddly enough, this isn't the first time that Breslin and Eckhart have worked together. The pair previously shared the screen in the 2007 romantic comedy No Reservations when she was 11 years old. The film also starred Catherine Zeta-Jones.
The plaintiffs are asking for $80,000 in real damages in addition to punitive damages, as they say Breslin’s "refusal" to sign the agreement "has completely imperiled the financial wellbeing of the production, including concluding distribution agreements and delivering under the terms of existing distribution agreements."
