Seinfeld Sued for $100 Million
Jerry Seinfeld is being sued for $100 million by a former friend who says a character in the TV show was based on him, a lawyer for the plaintiff said Monday. In a 29-page civil suit filed Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court, Michael Costanza, 43, accuses the comedian of slander, libel and unauthorized use of his name, likeness and persona for the character George Costanza. A lawyer for the real Costanza says that, like the character played by Jason Alexander, his client is "short, heavyset and bald."
Michael Costanza has known Jerry Seinfeld for 24 years, since they were students at Queens College, said the plaintiff's lawyer Jonathan Fisher. Much of the obnoxious sitcom character accurately reflects Costanza, but much does not, according to the lawyer. "George is a jerk," Fisher said. "This has had a negative effect on [the real Costanza's] life."
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