The uproar over the Miley Cyrus photo that some Asian groups have deemed offensive has spilled over to the courtroom.
According to court documents obtained by Access Hollywood, a Los Angeles woman is suing Miley over the photograph – for an amount that could add up to over $4 billion.
According to court documents, Lucie J. Kim, who brought the suit against the pop star, claims to represent over 1 million people in the LA area of Asian Pacific Islander descent. Kim claims that she and others are “a victim of [Cyrus’] discriminatory acts.”
The photo in question surfaced online last week showing Miley with a group of friends, including boyfriend Justin Gaston, slanting their eyes and squinting at the camera. The teen queen initially called the photo uproar “something out of nothing,” and said she was “simply making a goofy face.”
On Monday, Miley addressed the controversial photo again on her official fansite, saying,” I really wanted to stress how sorry I am if the photo of me with my friends offended anyone.”
In the suit filed in LA County Superior Court, Kim claims that each Asian Pacific Islander in LA County, which the suit approximates to be around 1 million, is entitled to a minimum of $4,000 for a civil rights violation stemming from the photograph. The damages could exceed $4 billion dollars.
Kim goes on to claim that Miley “knew or should have known that her image would be publicly disseminated via the media, which Cyrus knew focused on her private life.” The suit goes on to allege that the star “had actual knowledge that her conduct was in fact a form of racism, prejudice and mockery of the physical attributes of Asian Pacific Islanders.”
When contacted by Access Hollywood, reps for Miley could not be reached for comment.
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