Greene v. Paramount Pictures Corp.
Plaintiff Andrew Greene sued Paramount Pictures, Red Granite Pictures, and Appian Way for defamation, alleging he was portrayed inaccurately in 'The Wolf of Wall Street' movie through the character Nicky Koskoff. Greene claimed the character, nicknamed 'Rugrat' (mocking his toupee, similar to Greene's 'Wigwam'), defamed him by depicting him engaged in criminal activity, drug use, and unprofessional behavior. Defendants moved for summary judgment, arguing the character was a composite, not 'of and concerning' Greene, and that they did not act with actual malice. The Court found that even if Koskoff was a depiction of Greene, the plaintiff failed to show clear and convincing evidence that defendants acted with actual malice, as they did not knowingly or recklessly disregard whether the character would be perceived as Greene. Therefore, the Court granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment and dismissed Greene's libel claim with prejudice.