Michael Bayta syytetään pulun tappamisesta – ohjaaja kiistää “loukkaavan” huhun jyrkästi

Ohjaajan väitetään tappaneen pulun 6 Underground -elokuvan kuvauksissa Italiassa.

The Wrap kertoi viime viikolla ohjaaja Michael Bayta syytettävän Italiassa tapahtuneesta pulun tappamisesta Netflixin vuonna 2019 julkaiseman 6 Underground -leffan kuvauksissa.

Ohjaaja vastasi, etteivät väitteet pidä paikkaansa ja niiden olevan loukkaavia. Nyt Variety on saanut käsiinsä Bay lakimiehen The Wrapille lähettämän kirjeen, jossa tämä vaatii heidän oikaisevan väitteensä.

Bay vastasi The Wrapille, ettei hän koskaan satuttaisi saati tappaisi eläimiä, vaan on eläinaktivisti. Bayn lakimiehen Mathew Rosengartin lähettämä kirje on tässä kokonaisuudessaan alkuperäiskielellä:

”I am litigation counsel to Michael Bay, and I write concerning your and the Wrap’s false, reckless, and defamatory headline and story stating that Michael Bay had been accused or “charged” with “killing a pigeon” in connection with a film he directed. Those statements are simply wrong; they are also harmful.

As you know, Mr. Bay was never accused, much less “charged,” with “killing” an animal. Indeed, prior to publication, you were placed on notice of the existence of video evidence rebutting these allegations and demonstrating that at no time was any animal harmed, let alone “killed.” Further, as you also know (but failed to publish), the only “charge” at issue in Italy concerns whether, in his capacity as the film’s director, Mr. Bay failed to properly supervise crew members (whom he did not even have the ability to hire) responsible for handling the animals on set. That charge is being vigorously defended — and indeed, Mr. Bay feels so strongly that, to his credit, he refused to settle the case even for the nominal fine that was proposed by authorities to resolve it.

What makes your story all the more egregious is that you were expressly told, and you therefore knew, that the headline was false because Mr. Bay did not “kill” an animal and he was charged with no such thing. You evidently also failed to adequately investigate the matter by obtaining the actual charge or interviewing authorities or others who could have provided the facts. Instead, you proceeded with your story, with a false and misleading “clickbait” headline, demonstrating actual malice and reckless disregard of the truth.

Your story is particularly harmful and malicious because, contrary to its implications, Michael Bay is an animal rights activist; he passionately loves animals, as his track record shows. As a result of your story, however, his name is now associated with “killing” or “murdering” an animal, connoting intent. He is therefore being unfairly maligned and attacked. Indeed, there are now numerous articles and countless social media images associating Mr. Bay with “killing” or “murder,” which have gone around the world.

Your story is therefore extremely damaging to Mr. Bay personally and professionally (he has publicly discussed his love of animals and his desire to make a film about saving African elephants, another fact of which you had prior notice but ignored) and has tarnished his reputation as someone who fiercely supports animals, financially and otherwise, causing him extreme anguish. All of this exposes you and The Wrap to significant monetary damages. See, e.g., Ringler Associates Inc. v. Maryland Cas. Co., 80 Cal. App. 4th 1165, 1181 (2000); see also Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co., 497 U.S. 1, 19 (1990); White v. Fraternal Order of Police, 909 F.2d 512, 518 (D.C. Cir. 1990). Kapellas v. Kofman, 1 Ca1.3d 20, 33, 81 Cal.Rptr. 360 (1969) (defendant is liable “for what is insinuated as well as for what is stated explicitly”).

Given the above, and other facts and evidence, on behalf of Mr. Bay, we hereby demand an immediate retraction or correction of your story.”