October 18, 2011 2:36 PM

Actress sues Amazon for revealing her age on IMDb

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Movies

The Internet Movie Datebase (IMDb).

(Credit: AP)

(CBS/AP) SEATTLE - An unnamed actress is suing Amazon.com for more than $1 million for revealing her age on its Internet Movie Database website and refusing to remove the reference when asked.

The lawsuit was filed in Seattle on Thursday, and refers to the actress as Jane Doe. It says she lives in Texas, is of Asian descent and uses an Americanized stage name. She is seeking $75,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

The lawsuit accuses IMDb of misusing her personal information after she signed up for the industry insider IMDbPro service in 2008. Shortly thereafter, she noticed her legal date of birth had been added to her public acting profile. She requested that it be removed and IMDb refused, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit claims that divulging her age has cost her acting jobs.

"If one is perceived to be 'over-the-hill,' i.e., approaching 40, it is nearly impossible for an up-and-coming actress, such as the plaintiff, to get work as she is thought to have less of an 'upside,' therefore, casting directors, producers, directors, agents-manager, etc. do not give her the same opportunities, regardless of her appearance or talent," the lawsuit states.

While she loses opportunities because of her age, the lawsuit continues, she's also missing work because of her youthful appearance.

"Plaintiff has experience rejection in the industry for each '40-year-old' role for which she has interviewed because she does not and cannot physically portray the role of a 40-year-old woman," the lawsuit says.

The online retailer and its movie database subsidiary are accused of breach of contract, fraud, and violation of privacy and consumer protection laws. Both are based in Seattle.

Amazon has a long-standing practice of not commenting on active litigation, spokeswoman Mary Osako said Tuesday.


Add a Comment See all 51 Comments
by bikeboat October 19, 2011 11:15 AM EDT
Who gives a **** about her age....only other women....or media/fashion junkies without brains!
Reply to this comment
by sloppy-mcjohnson October 19, 2011 10:22 AM EDT
It had to be someone vain and OLD.
Was it Zsa Zsa Gabor?
The old bag!
LOL
Reply to this comment
by apprxam October 19, 2011 8:51 AM EDT
I know who it is....Clarence "Linc" Williams the III. He's an Asian lady, above 40 and nutty as a candy bar.

Mod Squad
Reply to this comment
by Harden_Tar October 19, 2011 6:35 AM EDT
Since when is Amazon the only keeper of birthdate information? Anyone with a computer can find out the age of just about any public person. Is this a publicity stunt by the actress, whose name WILL eventually come out, to get some ink? You know what they say, even bad publicity is a good thing.
Reply to this comment
by bluesky71 October 19, 2011 5:01 AM EDT
It's not very difficult to determine someone's age through the public records or other sources. I'm surprised she considers this "private" information. She shouldn't have a "right" to keep her DOB out of the public domain if it can be found through perfectly legitimate sources.
Reply to this comment
by anadentone October 19, 2011 12:00 AM EDT
its it's kimora lee simmons isnt it? Think about it
Reply to this comment
by Lawyers-Guns-n-Money06 October 19, 2011 5:22 AM EDT
Then she'd have to sue Wikipedia as well.
by Goofer-Buddy October 18, 2011 11:53 PM EDT
I say sue the bastards for everything. These people have no right to collect and share information.
Reply to this comment
by Phxfire October 19, 2011 12:24 AM EDT
SHE signed up for them to have a listing for her. Now she is crying foul. Her birthdate is probably alread part of the public record, it so, then they have done nothing wrong.
by Transatlantique October 18, 2011 11:20 PM EDT
Jeeeeez! If one wants to be in show business, then one must give up one's privacy. Everyone knows the age of the most popular actresses in hollywood, so what is the big deal, unless she's underage and doing porn.
Reply to this comment
by jackobyte October 18, 2011 10:47 PM EDT
After reading all the comments to date I am surprised at the puerile vitriol spouted at the plaintiff for wanting to protect her private data.

Full disclosure: I am 59 and not a lawyer ageism exists in full bloom in the USA. I have to drop jobs from my resume so that potential employers can't deduce my age.
Reply to this comment
by Transatlantique October 18, 2011 11:17 PM EDT
Can't they tell your age by your date of graduation from whatever?
by gpkerslerjr October 19, 2011 1:04 AM EDT
seems to me these folks badmouthing her for the lawsuit, simply are ignorant of contract law, and there sure is some dissonance in their viewpoint of protecting the party who breached the contract.....don't they expect a contract to be binding?......i am deeply concerned for the future of the u.s. if these folks will be running the show.
See all 4 Replies
by lleidwinger October 18, 2011 10:18 PM EDT
Must not be a very good actress if she needs this kind of money, or her agent is a loser.
Reply to this comment
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