Erin Brockovich was sued Friday by her ex-husband for libel, slander and defamation for comments she allegedly made in interviews, according to court documents.
The environmental research director, who now goes by the name Erin Brockovich-Ellis, allegedly said in interviews in the April 3, 2000 People Weekly that her second husband, Steven Brockovich, rarely paid child support, according to the lawsuit.
An article dated the next day in Star stated that Brockovich, who lives in Reno, "never paid child support," the lawsuit states.
"Erin will be very glad to relate to the public the factual basis of her relationship with Steven Brockovich," said attorney Ed Masry, Brockovich-Ellis' boss.
"He had made threats to sue her on these ridiculous allegations if she didn't pay him money," said Masry, who was played by Albert Finney in the Oscar-nominated movie "Erin Brockovich."
Brockovich-Ellis told her ex-husband and his lawyer, in Masry's presence, that she "would not and never would pay a dime," he said.
"I would suggest to anybody who thinks that by suing Erin Brockovich they're going to make some easy money, they should go out and dig some ditches," he added.
The movie is nominated for best movie at Sunday's Academy Awards.
Julia Roberts is up for a best actress Oscar for her role as the real-life leggy, outspoken legal assistant with the quick mind and even faster mouth.
The movie is about her investigation of groundwater pollution in the small town of Hinkley for Masry's law firm. The end result was a 333-million-dollar judgment against Pacific Gas and Electric -- AFP
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
