Evan Rachel Wood sued for $30m by 10 Things I Hate About You sequel producers

The US actress has a lawsuit on her hands as well as a high-profile split

US actress Evan Rachel Wood (Getty Images)

Safe to say, Evan Rachel Wood is not having the best time. Her split with Jamie Bell hit headlines last week and now, she is being sued by the producer of the proposed 10 Things I Hate About You sequel she bailed on.

The US actress, 26, has brushed off the $30 million lawsuit as “preposterous” and claimed that she stopped working on indie comedy 10 Things I Hate About Life, about a couple who meet while trying to kill themselves, after not being paid.

Producers meanwhile, allege that Wood breached a written agreement as well as the convenant of good faith and fair dealing, causing them to suffer “significant and extensive damages and financial harm”.

10 Things Films are claiming that Wood took a $300,000 advance to star as the lead but then “seemingly changed her mind about desiring to complete the film during principal photography, ultimately refusing without any legal justification to fulfil her contractual obligations and instead opting to walk out on the project”.

Court documents filed in Los Angeles on Thursday suggest that producers want at least $5 million in damages, $20 million in lost profits, $6 million in lost investments and $500,000 in lost financing costs from Wood, E! reports.

The loan company that provides Wood’s professional services, As You Wish Productions, has also been named in the suit.

A spokesperson for Wood has described the legal action as a “bullying tactic from financially-troubled producers”.

“The production shut down in February 2013 when the producers ran out of money,” the statement read. “Even after that, Evan agreed to resume production in November 2013, by which time the producers said they would have cleared up their issues.

“The producers still could not get their act together, nor did they pay Evan money that was owed. Repeated subsequent promises by the producers to resume production and pay Evan also turned out to be false. Enough is enough. The producers, not Evan, have breached contract.”

Gil Junger, who directed 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, was also on board to direct 10 Things I Hate About Life.