Olivia de Havilland Wants to Take Her Feud Case to Supreme Court
Olivia de Havilland was only 27 when she bravely took on Warner Bros. studio, risking her career to ..
Olivia de Havilland was only 27 when she bravely took on Warner Bros. studio, risking her career to fight against the studios prohibitive contracts. So it isnt entirely surprising that, nearly eight decades after her landmark court victory, the Oscar-winning actress is refusing to give up another legal case that could also have significant Hollywood ramifications. “It is essential not to give up in any struggle one undertakes,” de Havilland said, in a new interview with the Los Angeles Times about her ongoing battle with FX Networks.
Last year, de Havilland sued FX Networks, alleging that the Ryan Murphy-produced FX series Feud: Bette and Joan defamed her by depicting her (as played by Catherine Zeta-Jones) as a “vulgar gossip” and “hypocrite.” De Havilland took issue with several scenes—one of which has the de Havilland character call her sister, Joan Fontaine, a “bitch.” The actress has stated that she never publicly called her sister “a bitch.” (She admitted to calling her a “dragon lady” but insisted that the names had different meaning.) De Havilland has alleged that the portrayal damaged her “professional reputation for integrity, honesty, generosity, self-sacrifice, and dignity.”
De Havilland said she was “furious” to learn of her depiction on Feud. “I certainly expected that I would be consulted about the text,” she explained. “I never imagined that anyone would misrepresent me.” The actress also stated that, had Zeta-Jones reached out to her, she would have agreed to meet with her Oscar-winning peer “under proper conditions.”
The Oscar winner has hit several snags in her legal battle—losing bids in a California appeals court and the state Supreme Court. But de Havilland told the Los Angeles Times that she is hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will take her case so that she can reverse the appeals-court decision and pursue a jury trial.
De Havillands legal battle centers on the issue of whether Hollywood projects are protected by the First Amendment. De Havillands legal team argues that, in the case of Feud, FX went too far. If de Havilland succeeds, her case could again change the way Hollywood does business—this time seriously affecting biopics and projects inspired by real people or events.
Asked about de Havillands court battle, some eight decades after she made Hollywood history, the actress told the paper, “It is only natural for me to take on these institutions because they are in error.”
Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Julie MillerJulie Miller is a Senior Hollywood writer for Vanity Fairs website.
