Oct 2011 - Mar 20153 years 6 months. Seal, a government informant, was murdered outside a halfway house on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge. Debbie Seal and her children could not be reached for comment. "Well, obviously, if the agreement for the life story rights of Barry Seal was not properly executed, I would think that Universal would be cautious about proceeding to a theater with the movie without making the appropriate arrangements," Maughan said. Universal did not respond Thursday to a request for comment. The CIA let him do this, but the DEA is on his trail. Universal City Studios turned Barry Seal's story into the 2017 film "American Made" starring actor Tom Cruise as Seal, who was assassinated in February 1986 outside a Salvation Army halfway house on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge. It was filed Wednesday. The man who made Baton Rouge headlines in the mid-1980s for the machine-gun killing of drug informant Adler "Barry" Seal died in the Louisiana. The movie, which was shot scenes in Atlanta earlier this year and in Medelln, Columbia, last month, also stars Sarah Wright and 'Breaking Bads Jesse Plemons. Hahn found that there were rumors he was working with the CIA before 1984. Universal has not yet commented on the legal action. He was assassinated after agreeing to testify at a trial against a Colombian drug lord. Three men hired by Ochoa and the Medellin Cartel were convicted in Seals murder. Lisa Seal Frigon, his daughter from his first marriage, is saying that as the executor of his estate, her consent to sell the rights was required. He joined TWA as a flight engineer in 1964 and got promoted to the first officer, then captain, who regularly flew a Boeing 707. In an interview with PBS, North refused to take blame for leaking the details of Seals work, which clashed with the work he was doing for the DEA. Although the film portrays Seal as having a long relationship with the CIA, its still not clear if this was anything more than a rumor. Tom Cruise is set to play Seal, who was killed at a halfway house in 1986 off Airline Highway. Lisas fathers second wife was Lynn Ross; their union lasted from 1971 to 1972. "It contains many factual inaccuracies and thus falsely portrays Adler Berriman Seal," the lawsuit read. In 'American Made,' Tom Cruise stars as Baton Rougean Barry Seal, who was a drug and gun runner turned government informant. The daughter of drug smuggler Adler "Barry" Seal is attempting to boycott Universal Picture's "Mena" starring Tom Cruise, which is based on her father's life. BATON ROUGE, La. Frigon, who was born from Seal's first marriage, said her father's third wife Deborah Dubois and children born from the marriage sold the rights to movie studio for $350,000 but not a dime went to the estate. It claimed the commercial value of Seal's persona has been damaged and therefore, the value of his estate is diminished. In the lawsuit, Frigon also pointed out that she had reviewed the movie's script and there were many inaccuracies. He was murdered in 1986 by hitmen from the cartel in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and it was claimed that the US government failed to adequately protect him. Lisa Seal rose to the spotlight for fighting for her fathers rights following the production of a Mena, a film that starred Tom Cruise. His third wife was Deborah Ann DuBois, whom he married in 1974 and had three children with. As The Advocate reportedGuwAnooIN~_w'o}[W_K_]zR-}?}X;mj~yGzz:_o_a}/a7~=z^w7}pa~oJ p# v{z7. We had a chance to arrest all the cartel members, Jacobsen said. Mary Ellen Roy , Dan Zimmerman , New Orleans, LA, Counsel for Defendant/Appellee, Universal City Studios, LLC.. Mary E. Heck Barrios , Denham Springs, LA, Counsel for . Drug traffickers tied to the Medellin Cartel in Colombia arranged for the machine-gun killing, prosecutors said. Tom Cruise is already attached to play the lead role of drug smuggler-turned-federal informant. opinion. In the middle of one of these missions, members of Pablo Escobars Medellin Cartel pick him up and tell him to smuggle cocaine with him on return trips to the U.S. The appeals court noted that films about historical events, whether involving famous people or notable events involving relatively unknown people, have proliferated in movie theaters in recent years. He was convicted of his role in that plot to sell weapons to Iran and use the proceeds to support rebels in Nicaragua based on the Boland Amendment, but the convictions were vacated in 1991. Now his daughter Lisa Seal Frigon has filed a lawsuit in Louisiana against Universal over a reported $350,000 deal made to tell his story as granted by Seals third wife. @AG]n\7" nI{{{A: ;N{{IoVfoaj+Wj=W|WOOuz~]aU:/IKtB&)"=?ItV'[^g0wW_}%WwKw{u_]'o_w&]Io[i+jKW#Ch&6! And you trust the information isnt going to leak. 2 0 obj The appellant, Lisa Seal Frigon, as administratrix of the estate of Adler Berriman Seal, appeals an April 17, 2017 judgment of the trial court wherein the as the prevailing party on a special motion to strike, despite the trial court having expressly denied the motion. Theres no law formally protecting life rights, but many states have right of publicity or privacy statutes protecting names andlikenesses from commercial exploitation, and some states say it applies posthumously as well. In reality, Seal was married three times and had five children. The other two men are still in prison at the David Wade Correctional Center in Homer, Louisiana. I think its based on erroneous reporting and God only knows how many sources. Mena is the small Arkansas town where Seal conducted operations. [1] Lisa Friel. The suit alleges the contract for Seal's life story was $350,000 and Seal's third wife and their children never received approval from Seal's estate for the project. Seal then married Lynn Ross in 1971, but they divorced a year later without having any children. He was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Mary Lou and Benjamin Curtis Seal. Lisa Seal Frigon, hija del primer matrimonio de Barry Seal, traficante de drogas que fue reclutado por la DEA para dar informacin sobre Pablo Escobar y que inspir la pelcula 'Mena', demand. In court documents, Frigon is identified as the administrator of the Seal estate and claims the estate was never included in proceeds of the movie contract. On behalf of the production, our hearts and prayers go out to the crew members and their families at this difficult time., Image credits: Rex Features/Deadline/Splash, Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works', How to watch every Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee. The 1st Circuit Court of Appeal on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit that Seal's oldest daughter, Lisa Seal Frigon, who was born of his first marriage and now administers his estate, filed in 2015 against Barry Seal's widow, Deborah Debbie Dubois Seal, and her three children. She seeks unmentioned damages from Universal, Dubois and her three children. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Get free access to the complete judgment in Frigon v. Universal Pictures, Inc. on CaseMine. Lisa Seal Frigon, his daughter from his first marriage, is saying that as the executor of his estate, her consent to sell the rights was required. !W}^ /orTH=_LtWIuob'/{Z}[WD(sP;_vtH:_i~ouZc]J&R}iW%M*]^IVJAwuKmA/iva-6 AvPM) 6 X'SA 9MZh0E pa t M}S,r!b!A@uMB:dKcm:#y"4JBE`4). Port Allen Pelicans basketball team soaring toward fourth-straight state title, Sample duo leading Scotlandville into playoffs, For help accessing the WBRZ-TV Public File, contact: Joey Verrett at, LSU gymnastics club meet brings tourists to downtown Baton Rouge. Additionally, studios tend to make life rights deals so they can incorporate dramatic, fictional elements without fear of defamation, and indeed, the reported lawsuit over Mena appears to raise this issue as well. He had smuggled approximately 50 loads of cocaine into the United States. YQSv)L3DB3`)@ jxAR Maughan said Seals estate received no compensation as a result of the TV movie because it was not authorized by the family. In the film, directed by Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow), Cruise depicts Seal as a hot-shot pilot bored by his life as a commercial airline pilot. The lawsuit also targets those who made the deal with Universal. The weekend will start with temperatures 20 degrees lower than Friday morning! Watch the 2 Your Health report for Thursday, Watch the 2 Your Health report for Tuesday, Crawfish Tracker: Signs of life (and price drops). Seal married Debbie Dubois in 1974. An aircraft carrying crew members crashed while returning to Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport in Medelln following production wrap on the film 'Mena resulting in two fatalities, a spokesperson for Universal said in a statement. Universal is yet to respond to the lawsuit. The daughter of drug trafficker-turned-slain informant Barry Seal has filed a lawsuit in Louisianaagainst Universal Pictures over its upcoming film, Mena, starring Tom Cruise as Seal, according to local news reports. Lisa Seal Frigon, who was born of Barry Seal's first marriage and now administers the estate, claims in a lawsuit that her father's third wife and three children born of that marriage sold. Lisa has five siblings, one of whom is a brother from her mother. june 21, 2018. not designated for publication. "Mena" is a thriller directed by Doug Liman and written by Gary Spinelli. Two years before his death, Seal was indicted for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 462 pounds of cocaine with a street value of $168 million. By 1981, Seals smuggling activities were known by the DEA agents in Florida. Join Facebook to connect with Lisa Frigon and others you may know. Learn more about Lisa Seal by reading this article. The 1st Circuit Court of Appeal on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit that Seal's oldest daughter, Lisa Seal Frigon, who was born of his first marriage and now administers his estate, filed in 2015. Now his daughter Lisa Seal Frigon has filed a lawsuit in Louisiana against Universal over a reported $350,000 deal made to tell his story as granted by Seal's third wife. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In the lawsuit, Frigon also pointed out that she had reviewed the movie's script and there were many inaccuracies. What Movies & TV Shows Are Coming to Netflix in October 2017? Thereafter, Seal's daughter from his first marriage, Lisa Seal Frigon ("Frigon"), as the administratrix of the estate of Adler Berriman Seal, filed suit against Universal and the Seal defendants seeking to nullify the agreement and claiming violation of right of privacy, right of publicity and asserting other causes of action. There was a problem saving your notification. Gt0@B""=. e0Q8Am%IgY ) 0C deJ{n6" Lisa seal is the daughter of drug distributor Barry Seal and his first wife, Barbara Dodson.