A Long Island judge has this week ordered Leonardo DiCaprio to come forward and explain himself, in a $US25 million defamation suit arising from his 2013 film The Wolf Of Wall Street.
The film is loosely based on investment banker Jordan Belfort and his coked-out Wall Street cohort, but a former friend and colleague of Belfort’s has taken issue with his alleged portrayal.
Andrew Greene, who worked at Stratton Oakmont between 1993 and 1996, claims that the “toupee-wearing, prostitute-loving degenerate” character of Nicky ‘Rugrat’ Koskoff is based on him.
Although he insists he is not the “morally bankrupt drug abuser” the film makes him out to be, he reckons that the similarities between himself and the character of Koskoff are “readily apparent.” The lawsuit alleges that:
“The motion picture’s scenes concerning Mr Greene were false, defamatory, and fundamentally injurious to Mr Greene’s professional reputation, both as an lawyer and as an investment banker/venture capitalist, as well as his personal reputation.”
Greene’s lawyers have spent the last few weeks trying to depose Leonardo DiCaprio, saying that he was a “driving force” behind the film, and has key knowledge regarding “significant issues” in the case.
Reportedly, Leo initially dodged their requests – Greene’s lawyers claim that he was “too busy” – so a judge has now compelled him to make himself available for a deposition.
Leo will now have to present himself “at a reasonable time and place agreed to by the parties.” Good luck mate.
Source: News Corp.
Photo: VCG / Getty.
