Sharon Stone’s comments about the earthquake in China being karmic retribution for human rights abuse just won’t go away. A New York lawyer is rallying the families of Chinese earthquake victims to sue Sharon Stone for $1 billion.
The “Basic Instinct” star was recently served with legal papers announcing attorney Ming Hai’s intention to sue her for harming Chinese people when she suggested the catastrophic quake last May was “karma” for the regime’s occupation of Tibet.
“For the families who have lost their loved ones or lost limbs or suffered severe injuries, your … statement and act has caused extreme emotional distress,” Ming wrote, citing the controversial comments Stone made at the Cannes Film Festival.
Sharon Stone has been making stupid statements all of her life, mostly via flashing her crotch and wearing fur, but this one really seems to be affecting her career. Firstly, China banned all of her films. Sure, they might not have the biggest box office turnover, but it’s been a while since Sharon was a star and she can’t afford to lose a billion possible patrons.
Then she got dropped from her contract with Dior, offered a brain scan by PETA to see if she had one, or compassion. Is this what we might call karma? Is it bad that I am really rather enjoying this? Is that going to give me bad karma? What are the rules here? How does karma work? Sharon has offered apologies, but didn’t offer any money. I guess this is what the lawsuit is asking for.
This situation is really about the people who have lost their families and homes in Sichuan province. It is estimated that 80% of the buildings were destroyed (leaving as many as 11million people homeless), and around 100,000 people are dead or missing, as well as almost 400,000 people injured.
If the lawsuit involves Sharon Stone donating some money to relief efforts, it can only be a good thing. It won’t be anywhere near $1billion, Sharon Stone can only dream of that kind of money.
Earthquake statistics from Wikipedia.
Sharon Stone is shown out at Orso restaurant on 7/29/08. Credit: WENN
This is getting more ridiculous. She might sue them as well for the worrie of being sued, etc…
Seems like you’d better go the Chinese way otherwise, fear their anger.
I don’t defend Sharon for what she said, she shouldn’t talk and stick to being a reteired actress and have her photo taken, dot.
this is absurd to me. a country with no freedom of speech suing stone for her dumb comment makes no sense.
“emotional distress” did you say? How about china lets out all its political prisoners from their jail cells with no legal representation and horrible torture, release dissidents from labor camps, release people in jail for not giving up their homes to the government bulldozers so that shiny new hotels could be built on the traditional neighborhoods.
or how about the emotional distress of forced sterilization or having being fined and having your furniture and belongings taken away because you dared have another child? or having to give up a child after birth to child smugglers because you didnt get permission to have the baby from the govenment.
seems to me that this lawyer is going after stone because there is no way to go after the government for any of its real life, tangible atrocities and its easier to sue someone for their hurtful words on another continent.
This is ridiculous. I’m sorry but only in America. No love for Sharon Stone but please! If she had specifically named one individual who deserved karmic retribution, then maybe there might be some grounds for this, but this was, at the end of the day, nothing more than a senseless, ignorant, ill-informed personal opinion from someone known for neither their wit nor their intelligence. She got exactly what she deserved at the time – public outrage, disgust and ridicule and a kick where it hurts most – her wallet.
For this lawyer and whoever else is involved to try and milk it now for anything more is opportunistic and greed-led and beyond ridiculous.
China is restricting Internet access at the Olympics despite the government’s promise not to do so.
No love for Sharon Stone either.
yah daisy, among other things like restricting travel to tibet or xinjiang for everyone, not just journalists who might write an unflattering story. my friend is in a grad journalism program and working in beijing right now for what BOCOG (beijing organizing committee for the olympic games) told her group was going to be a media internship, coming up with press releases, statements from athletes, rundown of scores for certain events, etc. all they do is stare at the wall for 8 hours, answer phones at the help desk, check on toilet paper in the bathrooms, and do nothing related to the media whatsoever. all websites are blocked in the media center too, despite the governments promise that all would have unfettered access.
I am so sick of everyone suing everyone for everything. I agree that what sharon said was ignorant and rude, but really, it’s sharon stone. Does anyone REALLY care about her opinion? 🙄
Maybe if some well respected person with brains had said that, THEN people could sue, because it makes that person’s statements seem more credible, since that person is smart & respected. Know what I mean?
Sharon is stupid and nobody respects her, so who the hell cares about her opinion? Not worth suing over the words of a moron, ya know? It’s not like sharon changed anyones opinion about China by saying what she said. Instead she caused even MORE people to hate HER. Isn’t that enough punishment for the poor feeble minded thing? 😕
This is complete bull. It was an asinine comment but THIS? Please, Americans, rally behind Ms. Stone and SUPPORT FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
…even if it means supporting dumbasses. The 1st Amendment is FIRST because it is the most important!
sharon stone should be punished for being such a bad fucking actress! maybe she should be forced to go live in china…
delicious schadenfreude 😀
Bros, right on target you are on your earlier post. That should be published in a journal.
This Chinese-American lawyer is going to look like the biggest jackass ever & he will receive the wrath of Americans hounding his hide over our freedom of speech. Don’t worry…this will back fire & blow up in his face.
Karma is real. Ms Stone did not invent it. She does have the right to speak about it in a free country. She really just posed a question.
The Chinese Lawyer Hai (is he American born Chinese?) would not have the privilege to sue her in China. He uses his American privileges to throw the new Chinese weight around. If he really had balls he should be suing the Chinese government for building schools that were not earthquake safe. Those buildings killed a lot of children and their parents are not too happy about that, (they are forbidden to protest) but then he would not get in the news would he.
Perhaps Mr. Hai should sue the Chinese for putting so many bad products on the market. Killer tooth paste and killer dog food, not to mention toys painted with lead paint.Products that went around the world to cause death and damage. They do everything on the slide over there and I suppose this is how Mr Hai does things also.
Many people in the world thought hurricane Katrina was karmic retribution for the USA’s sins. Who do we sue?