Actor Sues Oscars for False Imprisonment

The Oscars are the hottest ticket in town, but if you’re going to attend make sure you have a ticket in hand.

Venezuelan-born actor Michael Avila, who appears in the upcoming Broken Blade and Straw Dogs, learned the hard way when he and his wife showed up at March’s Academy Awards. Avila said his publicist told him that his tickets were waiting for him at the door to the Kodak Theater. When the actor and his wife arrived at the awards ceremony, they were promptly whisked away to the Academy’s detention center. After six hours of questioning by security they were turned over to local police and released without charges.

Avila is suing the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for $50 million. He claims false imprisonment, and injuries to his and his wife’s bodies, and shock and injury to their nervous systems. The Avilas also claim the incident left them humiliated and feeling mental anguish and emotional distress.

The suit was filed by Beverly Hills attorney Timothy Hall. The Academy has yet to respond to the lawsuit.