Hollywood star Eva Green has admitted it has been “very humiliating” to hear her private WhatsApp messages read out at the High Court, where she is suing a production company over a sci-fi film project that was dropped.
The 42-year-old French actress had been due to play the lead role in A Patriot, appearing alongside Charles Dance and Helen Hunt, but the production was cancelled in October 2019.
Green, best known for starring in Casino Royale alongside Daniel Craig, has filed a lawsuit against producers White Lantern Film, claiming she is still entitled to her fee of $1 million (about £810,000) despite the project collapsing.
In turn, White Lantern Film is bringing a counterclaim against the French actress, claiming she undermined the independent film’s production, made “excessive creative and financial demands” and had expectations that were “incompatible” with the film’s budget. They have accused her of wanting to get out of the project.
The court has previously heard how in text messages, Green referred to one of the film’s executive producers, Jake Seal, as a “devious sociopath”, “pure vomit” and “a liar and a mad man”. However, her barrister has said that White Lantern’s claim is “designed to paint my client as a diva to win headlines and damage her reputation”.
On Monday, she blamed her “Frenchness” for some of her messages.
Giving evidence for the second day on Tuesday, the star answered more questions about her messages. Max Mallin, representing White Lantern Film, asked Green about a message describing Seal as “evil”, which also said that she had to “get out” of the film.
Eva Green blames ‘Frenchness’ for ‘horrible’ messages about movie bosses in lawsuit over collapsed film
She denied this meant she wanted to withdraw from the project. “If I really wanted to pull out, I would have asked my agent to do so in a legal way,” she said.
“Are you accustomed to simply lying in casual WhatsApp messages?” Mr Mallin asked.
Green said she had a “very direct way of saying things”. She continued: “I was not expecting to have my WhatsApp messages exposed in court, it’s very humiliating. Sometimes you say things you don’t mean.
“You say you hate a person and you say, ‘I’m going to kill this person’. Are you going to kill this person? No. It’s a cry from the heart.”
‘Daniel Craig did another Bond movie’
The actress then referenced comments famously made by her former co-star Craig.
“Daniel Craig said: ‘I would rather slash my wrists than do another Bond movie’,” she said. “He did honour his contract and did another Bond movie and didn’t slash his wrists. I know this story very well because I know Daniel.”
Craig, 54, made the comment in an interview in 2015 after finishing his penultimate Bond film Spectre.
He later accepted the remark made him appear “ungrateful” but said it was meant to be a joke – and went on to star in his final 007 film, No Time To Die, in 2021.
During her evidence, Green has admitted she did not want to work with Seal and his team, but said she would not have broken her contract.
A ruling on the case is expected at a later date.
