Clint Eastwood CBD lawsuit: actor wins $ 6.1 million judgment

Clint Eastwood is on the rise after winning a $ 6.1 million default judgment against a Lithuanian company that falsely claimed to have approved a line of CBD candy.

“I am satisfied with the court’s decision and believe this judgment sends a powerful message to other online crooks who may try to illegally use someone’s name and reputation to sell their products,” he said. Eastwood said in a statement to Rolling stone.

A federal judge in Los Angeles on Friday awarded Eastwood and his company Garrapata $ 6,094,565.33 in damages. The Oscar winner had previously requested $ 30 million, but the court lowered that figure in June, leading Eastwood to backtrack to the lower figure awarded on Friday.

U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner agreed that Eastwood would have reasonably charged Lithuanian company Mediatonas UAB $ 6 million to support a product as part of a 16-month online campaign, given that it is lending seldom its image in commercial activities. “Sir. Eastwood’s name and likeness has only been allowed once, for a single Super Bowl ad ‘on the subject of resilience and America’s recovery after the Great Recession’,” the judge said, according to the minutes from Friday’s hearing. And the actor only agreed to participate in the Super Bowl commercial because “he was very committed to it: job growth and the spirit of America,” the court said.

The judge further found that Eastwood could have charged a premium to endorse the CBD line at the center of the legal dispute, as it was “unknown” and therefore would rely more on its star power – and perhaps “would highlight jeopardize its reputation ”.

Eastwood, 91, first filed the underlying trademark infringement and libel lawsuit last year, without yet knowing the identity of Mediatonas. After issuing subpoenas, he named the company in an amended complaint in February. The company did not respond to a summons a month later, setting the stage for the default judgment.

The Dirty Harry The actor claims that Mediatonas was the owner of the ushealthynews.com and usmagazinetrending-news.com websites, where he hosted a “bogus, libelous and fully fabricated” article about himself to promote and sell cannabidiol (CBD) products. The fraudulent article – titled “Big Pharma In Outrage Over Clint Eastwood’s CBD: Sera Relief CBD Gummies – He Fires Back With This!” – was included as an exhibit in the Eastwood documents.

“In truth, Mr. Eastwood has no connection whatsoever with CBD products and has never given such an interview,” the complaint read.

Attempts to reach Mediatonas were unsuccessful on Monday.

“Over a career spanning more than sixty years, Mr. Eastwood has earned a reputation for honesty, hard work, integrity and public service,” Eastwood attorney Jordan Susman said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “He’s also ready to do what’s right and what’s right. By pursuing this case and securing this judgment, Mr. Eastwood has once again demonstrated his willingness to face wrongdoing and hold accountable those who attempt to illegally take advantage of his name, likeness and goodwill.

Eastwood recently directed and starred in the film crying macho. His 2004 film Million dollar baby won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2005.