Ryan Murphy On ‘Feud’ Suit Dismissal: “Great Day For Artistic Expression”
March 26, 2018
Ryan Murphy On ‘Feud’ Suit Dismissal: “Great Day For Artistic Expression”
Feud: Bette and Joan executive producer Ryan Murphy has weighed in on the dismissal of Olivia de Havilland’s defamation lawsuit over the FX series, calling it ” a great day for artistic expression.”
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“The reversal is a victory for the creative community, and the First Amendment,” he said in a statement. “Today’s victory gives all creators the breathing room necessary to continue to tell important historical stories inspired by true events. Most of all, it’s a great day for artistic expression and a reminder of how precious our freedom remains.”
The 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals ruled threw out the lawsuit today, saying that Catherine Zeta-Jones’s portrayal of the Oscar-winning actress in the program “is not highly offensive to a reasonable person as a matter of law. De Havilland’s lawsuit claimed that the portrayal damaged her “professional reputation for integrity, honesty, generosity, self-sacrifice and dignity.”