Wesley Snipes (left) and Don Cheadle in the film "Brooklyn's Finest."
Story Created:
Feb 10, 2009 at 6:09 PM PST
Story Updated:
Mar 19, 2009 at 12:02 PM PST
"Blade'' trilogy star Wesley Snipes lost a round in court Tuesday when a judge ruled that a talent agency does not have to sharpen the details in its lawsuit alleging the actor owes them commissions for various films.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White said United Talent Agency's lawsuit against the action star can move forward toward trial, which is now scheduled to begin June 8.
Snipes' lawyers argued the suit needed to be revised to specifically name two companies through which UTA maintained Snipes could receive payments from movie studios on his behalf.
Those companies were later determined by UTA to be Swiss Sterling Trust and Kymberlyte, according to Snipes' lawyers.
However, White said naming the companies was not necessary.
"The plaintiff has put the defendants on notice that there are other parties,'' White said, adding, "The complaint on its face is not in any way uncertain.''
UTA sued Snipes in Los Angeles Superior Court in July 2006, alleging breach of an oral contract. UTA maintains that Snipes owes the firm commissions for various films.
In November 2007, White, without objection from either side, set aside a $1.7 million default judgment against the actor. Snipes maintained that he was unaware of the UTA legal action until shortly after the default judgment was signed.
According to the UTA lawsuit, Snipes and the agency entered into a verbal agreement in November 2002 in which it was to be paid 10 percent of any money the actor received for movie roles that UTA obtained for him.
The plaintiffs said Snipes received $13 million for his role in "Blade III.'' Four former talent agents with the company were principally responsible for him getting the role, the suit alleges.
The firm also helped Snipes land parts in the movies "Chaos,'' "Middle Man'' and "The Shooter,'' but the actor did not pay the commissions he owes for those performances either, the agency maintains.
The actor parted company with the talent agency in February 2006, the lawsuit states.
Snipes was found guilty in Florida in February 2008 of failure to file tax returns and sentenced to three years in prison, but a federal court judge ruled last May the he could remain free on bail pending an appeal of the conviction and sentence.
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