Angelina Jolie Lawsuit Reaches a Verdict
by Shannon Keirnan
Angelina Jolie has received good news in the form of a court ruling in her favor.
The “Maleficent” beauty was sued in 2011 by a Bosnian-Croatian journalist and writer, James. J. Braddock. Braddock claimed that Jolie’s film “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” which she both wrote and directed, was partially plagiarized from his work.
However U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee ruled there was not enough “substantial similarity” between “Land of Blood and Honey” and Braddock’s book, “Slamanje Duse” (“The Soul Shattering”) to continue with the lawsuit against Jolie and her producers.
Judge Gee states, “Although ‘Blood and Honey’ is also a story of love, it highlights the complications of romantic love during wartime… ‘Blood and Honey’ is primarily a story of betrayal, revenge and tragedy with little or no hope, while Slamanje Duse focuses on family, love and strength.”
Jolie’s attorney, Harrison Dossick, responded with enthusiasm to the decision.
“The Court’s tentative ruling was thorough and well reasoned. We are hopeful the court will adopt it in full when the final order is issued,” Dossick stated.
Braddock has been ordered to tell the court why his complaint should not be dismissed with prejudice by April 12th.
“In the Land of Blood and Honey” follows a Serbian soldier named Danijel during the Bosnian War, who “re-encounters Ajla, a Bosnian who's now a captive in his camp he oversees. Their once promising connection has become ambiguous as their motives have changed.”
It stars Goran Kostic and Zana Marjanovic, and was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Foreign Language Film.