Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for Sept. 12
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A professional stunt performer is bringing a hefty lawsuit against the producers of the latest installment of the “Resident Evil,” series after she says she suffered “horrific” and “catastrophic” injuries from an on-set motorcycle accident.
Olivia Jackson, the stunt replacement for actress Milla Jovovich, who plays Alice, alleges the injuries she suffered while filming "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" on Sept. 5, 2015, were the result of producers “elevating financial considerations over safety," according to court documents obtained by the Hollywood Reporter.
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Jackson claims in the lawsuit -- which was filed Tuesday -- that while filming the movie in South Africa, she arrived on the set expecting to shoot a fight scene. However, she claims producers Jeremy Bolt and Paul Anderson asked her at the last minute to perform a “dangerous and technically complex motorcycle scene in adverse weather."
According to Jackson, the scene required her to speed toward a camera affixed to a crane. An operator was supposed to raise the crane before Jackson hit the camera.
“The sequence was planned so that the camera would start filming from a position close to the road surface and then would be lifted up through manipulating the Freedom Arm to pass over her head at close quarters,” the lawsuit reads.
Instead, Jackson says she was riding the motorcycle at 40 mph when she plowed head-first into the camera crane, causing it to “slice through her forearm and tearing the flesh off her cheek, leaving her teeth exposed.”
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The stunt performer suffered other serious injuries and had to have her left arm amputated. She was also placed into an induced coma, according to the complaint.
Jackson also alleges the producers led her to believe their insurance would cover any injuries suffered during taping and resulting losses – but that never happened. Jackson claims filmmakers took out "woefully" inadequate insurance which paid out only $33,000. She further claims she later learned there was no liability coverage for her filed claim.
Attending the after-party for the premiere of Sony Pictures Releasing's "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter," are, from left, Clint Culpepper, president, Screen Gems; writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt. The event was held at Clifton's Cafeteria in Los Angeles, Jan. 23, 2017. (Getty Images)
“The $33,000 that was made available does not cover the cost of even one of the many major surgeries that Ms. Jackson needs,” Jackson’s attorney Julian Chamberlayne, told the Daily Mail. “She could need 10 or more surgical procedures. This does not take into account any of the prosthetics, aids or therapies that Ms. Jackson requires, which could each cost tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
"Had such facts been known to Plaintiff, she never would have agreed to perform ‘The Final Chapter,’ or alternatively, would have secured additional insurance on her own," the complaint states, adding that Jackson "had already secured the role of stunt double for a leading cast member in ‘Wonder Woman,’ and didn't need the work."
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Jackson documented her recovery on her Instagram account and even bid farewell to her “withered” arm ahead of her amputation.
“Goodbye to my withered arm, hello to my stump. Not how I planned my life to go 😤 😖 ...but just got to embrace what I have & move onwards & upwards ☝😊,” Jackson captioned the photo of herself smiling after her procedure. “Luckily I have an awesome supportive team behind me ❤️ @davegstunts #united49.”
The stuntwoman, known as Olivia the Bandit on Instagram, thanked her husband and fellow stunt performer, Dave Grant, for his unwavering support.
Jackson pleads in the complaint that while she was in the induced coma, the producers reassured Grant that they would pay for his wife's mounting medical care and rehabilitation costs “all the way through,” but they later reneged on the promise.
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Jackson originally filed the lawsuit in South Africa, however, Bolt and Anderson’s attorneys were able to have it dismissed there, per the Daily Mail.
In a statement to the outlet this week, Jackson lamented her current condition.
“I miss my old face. I miss my old body. I miss my old life. It really hurts that I have to live with the aftermath of other people’s mistakes,” she said. “I wish I had realized that there would be wholly inadequate protection for me before I ever took the role.”
She further claimed in the suit that “The Final Chapter” has grossed more than $300 million worldwide and that the "Resident Evil" franchise as a whole has exceeded $1.2 billion. She states that a crew member, Ricardo Cornelius, was killed during the filming of the movie and alleges a total of 16 background actors were also injured in a previous iteration of the series.
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Jackson also names Bolt Pictures and Tannhauser Gate as defendants in the lawsuit for breach of contract and misrepresentation. She is seeking unspecified damages.
Reps for Bolt and Anderson did not immediately respond to Fox News’ requests for comment.
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