Jared Leto, who played Joker on Suicide Squad, filed a lawsuit last Wednesday against TMZ, Warner Bros. Entertainment and EHM Productions Inc. for releasing the controversial video of him cussing Taylor Swift.
Under the name of his company Sisyphus Productions, Leto accused TMZ and its associates of copyright infringement. The suit says the videographer who sold off the video to the website for an alleged $2,000 not only had no rights to the images but also told TMZ not to publish the footage.
The videographer specifically said, "Do not post the footage. I do not own it. I do not have permission." However, his warning was too late as it came 15 minutes after the video went live with the headline, "JARED LETO: SCREW TAYLOR SWIFT!! But I'd Love One of Her Hits."
The suit demands for that all copies of the video be returned. It also asks for any profits TMZ has made off the video and for monetary compensation to pay for the damages made to Leto's reputation. The suit indicated that if the plaintiffs cannot determine the actual amounts involved, a statutory payout would be acceptable plus reimbursement of court costs.
The said video shows Leto listening to Swift's songs for inspiration to write a piece for his band Thirty Seconds to Mars. While discussing elements they might incorporate into their music, Leto began to cuss Swift saying, "F-ck her, I don't give a f-ck about her, it's whatever works best for us."
After the video's release, Leto took to Twitter to apologize to Swift. He wrote, "The truth is I think @taylorswift13 is amazing + an incredible example of what's possible. If I hurt her or her fans my sincerest apologies."
As of December 10, the Leto's Taylor Swift diss video is still posted on TMZ's website. They also did not respond to requests for comment.