Jennifer Lopez Loses Legal Battle of Privacy against Release of Home Video
Jennifer Lopez has at last lost her legal fight to safeguard her privacy in an intimate home video that her ex-husband plans to release publicly. The total video footage is a little over 27 hours, which includes several scenes of nudity featuring Lopez. It also reportedly includes footage of her honeymoon with her ex-husband, the Cuban-born Ojani Noa. Noa and Lopez met in a Miami restaurant where Noa worked as a waiter. They married in 1997 and were divorced that same year.
Journey of the Video Tape
The data drive that is believed to contain the private video footage of 27 hours featuring JLo was originally in possession of Ojani Noa, who was prevented by a court injunction from releasing it publicly. However, much later the footage mysteriously appeared to be in the possession of Noa’s manager, Ed Meyer.
It was speculated that Noa sold the tape to his current girlfriend Claudia Vazquez. Vazquez claimed through her lawyer that Ed Meyer stole the video data from her home. Ed Meyer admitted to having the data in his possession and presented it before the court. The court ordered the video to be kept under lock-and-key until the matter was formally disposed of by the court. Ed Meyer was also placed under oath that if he had a copy of any portions of the footage, he would erase them permanently.
Jennifer Lopez Sued
In December, 2010, Claudia Vazquez sued Lopez for $10 million in damages for allegedly attempting to interfere with a movie that was supposed to be produced on Ojani Noa’s life. This made the entire case even more ironical because it involved a celebrity who was trying to prevent the public circulation of her nude video and who herself got sued for doing so. Who is Noa and why anyone would want to see a movie about this person is beyond anyone’s guess?
A contract to make a movie on Ojani Noa’s life was signed between Claudia Vazquez, Ojani Noa, and Noa’s business manager Ed Meyer, who would also be the director of the movie. Financing from the movie was arranged from Telemundo and NBC, who retained the final rights of refusal to produce or distribute the movie. However, Lopez’s lawyers continued to contend that a private honeymoon video could not gain legitimacy in the garb of a biopic movie. Claudia Vazquez’s lawsuit failed to explain how it was felt that Lopez interfered with the making of the movie. This is a complete circus as anyone can see; an ideal story for public fodder.
Non-disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement
Jennifer Lopez’s lawyers sought and received an injunction against the release of the controversial footage on the basis of the argument that Noa had signed non-disclosure and confidentiality covenants at the time of his separation with Lopez. In fact, Lopez sued Noa for $10 million in damages for having violated the separation covenants.
The court issued restraining orders against the distribution of the footage by Noa. That is when Noa and his associates came up with the idea of presenting it as a case of movie making in order to get rid of the covenants signed by Noa at the time of separation. What else does Noa have banking for him? He does not have any talent at all and is looking for a get-rich quick scheme. JLo should have never married him in the first place. But of course she is married to Mark Anthony now is borderline strange looking and she did not need the money. Her success in music and movies has been impressive.
Lopez Loses the Legal Battle
At long last, Lopez has lost the legal fight against Ojani Noa to keep out the video footage from public circulation. Lopez’s lawyers had succeeded in restraining Noa until now on the basis of the no-disclosure agreement Noa had signed at the time of separation. However, at last, Noa’s lawyers managed to discover a loophole in the agreement. The agreement was explicit about the fact that Noa would never talk about Lopez in public.
However, the court formed a final view that the agreement did not prevent him from making a sale of the footage of his private moments with his ex-wife Lopez to another person, Claudia Vazquez, who may publish the footage on Noa’s behalf. The executive producer of the documentary project, Ed Meyers, has announced that the Los Angeles court has permitted the release of private home videos of Noa and Lopez. A deal on the video is likely to be concluded soon with the project’s distributors.
Article by Benjamin Roussey
