Trimspa Sued Over Anna Nicole Smith's Behavior
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Anna Nicole Smith went too far, a production company has charged, and it wants Trimspa to pay for it.
The producer of the Live 8 concerts has filed a lawsuit against Trimspa Inc., claiming that the company's reputation was damaged by the buxom Trimspa spokeswoman's attire and conduct during a televised concert last summer.
Live 8 Productions LLC is seeking more than $500,000 in compensatory damages, claiming Trimspa failed to pay for a handful of 30-second promotional spots that aired during the July 2 broadcast on ABC. The lawsuit also seeks unspecified punitive damages, as well as additional unspecified damages for Smith's behavior.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The accusations involving Smith, who is not named as a defendant, are contained in a lawsuit filed last week in federal court. The lawsuit states that Smith was instructed to dress "in an appropriate fashion for a charitable event."
But when Smith appeared in Philadelphia, one of 10 cities participating in the concerts, she was "intoxicated and scantily clad in revealing attire completely inappropriate for a broadcast that would be seen by millions of people in the United States and then rebroadcast throughout the world," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit cited Smith as having "unbecoming and erratic behavior," claiming it damaged the concerts' reputation and goodwill in the entertainment industry and called for additional damages.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Smith's lawyer, Howard K. Stern, called the accusations "pure fiction and totally irresponsible."
"People are trying to use Anna Nicole as a scapegoat in a contract dispute that she's not a party to and wasn't even aware of, and they should be ashamed of themselves," Stern said in e-mailed statement to The Associated Press.
Smith was not drunk and brought a back-up outfit with her, but was told she "looked beautiful and not to change a thing," Stern said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Besides Trimspa, its parent company, Goen Technologies Corp., is also named in the lawsuit.
Based in Whippany, N.J., Trimspa said in a statement on its Web site that it has had no contact, negotiations or contract with Live 8 Productions and plans to defend itself in the lawsuit.
Trimspa said it did have a contract with Winnaman & Associates, a California-based marketing company that sold it the commercial time and interviews during Live 8, according to the company statement.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trimspa blamed Winnaman & Associates for not fulfilling the terms of the contract and asserted that the lawsuit's remarks about Smith were "pure propaganda and borders on slanderous."
A message left for Winnaman & Associates was not immediately returned.