Bruce Willis fires a fraud claim back at litigious producers

By Eriq Gardner

We didn't think Marty Singer would take long to respond to the claims against client Bruce Willis.

Last week, producers of "Three Stories About Joan" filed a lawsuit against Willis alleging that he failed to live up to his contractual obligation to direct and act in the film. Now Willis has filed a countersuit, essentially saying We'll see your $4 million lawsuit and raise you to $8.7 million in damages.

According to various reports (we haven't seen the court papers) Willis complaint claims the producers falsely represented they had completed financing for the film without actually having the full deposit, including Willis' acting fee, in escrow when cameras started rolling. Willis also claims that producers later admitted not having full financing lined up.

Singer, one of the savviest litigators we know, seems to realize that this can't just be two dueling breach-of-contract lawsuits. Otherwise they might cancel each other out.

So by alleging that producers of "Joan" claimed they had full financing when they didn't, the producers might have perpetrated a fraud upon Willis. Or so that's what Singer hopes to tell a courtroom. Seems like a good poker move.