Update: Spike Lee Wants Lawsuit Over Zimmerman Tweet Thrown Out
UPDATE:
Spike Lee has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Florida couple, who say they continue to receive death threats since the movie director mistakenly tweeted their address, which he thought belonged to George Zimmerman.
The director’s attorney says that the lawsuit brought by Elaine and David McClain should be thrown out because Lee already reached a $10,000 settlement with them last year. The couple says that the previous settlement only covered damages up until March 2012 and not their suffering since.
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A Florida couple filed a lawsuit against Spike Lee last week for an undisclosed amount for tweeting their address in 2012, which he believed at the time belonged to George Zimmerman. Lee posted it in the wake of the killing of Trayvon Martin.
Lee previously apologized to Elaine and David McClain and paid them $10,000 settlement in March 2012. But the couple says they continue to receive hate mail and media presence from those who still don't know that Zimmerman does not reside at their address.
The McClains are seeking at least $15,000 in damages, according to ABC News. They may be seeking as much as $1.2 million, according to a court filing by Lee's attorney, the Smoking Gun reports.
The mix up may have occurred because the youngest son of Elaine McClain has the last name Zimmerman and the middle name George. Lee reposted the information from a man in California, who had tweeted the address to several celebrities.
Lee said he regrets sending the tweet on Oprah's Next Chapter, which aired Sunday. "There's nothing I can say that can defend what I did. It was stupid," he said.
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