Rocker Chrissie Hynde has threatened to mount a lawsuit against a handbag maker after they used her name to promote a leather bag. Animal rights campaigner Hynde has branded the decision by trendy holdall designer Hogan to name a new ponyskin handbag in their rock chick-inspired collection 'The Chrissie' "outrageous and thoughtless." Hynde says, "I never thought I'd be moved to consider filing a lawsuit, but as soon as I heard my name was being used to promote bags made of dead-animal skin, I started exploring my legal options with my friends at Peta (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals) At first, I thought this must be a joke, it's so outrageous and thoughtless."
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Australian actor Michael Caton says he was only making a "tongue in cheek" remark when he suggested that comedian Rob Schneider may have helped Adam Sandler plagiarize the Australian film "Strange Bedfellows" for Sandler's "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry." Both films are about two firefighters who pretend to be homosexuals in order to take advantage of tax benefits for gay couples. Caton, who co-starred in "Bedfellows" with Paul (Crocodile Dundee) Hogan, had told a recent news conference that he had given a copy of the movie to Schneider, who appears as an Asian minister in "Larry." Caton appeared with Schneider in the 2001 film "The Animal." Schneider responded by taking out an ad in the Sydney Morning Herald saying, "I am very flattered that you think that I am the one who chooses the films of Adam Sandler (currently the highest paid actor in the world). ... It is true you gave me a DVD copy of "Strange Bedfellows," but I must confess I've never watched it, as it is not on the same format as I have." Caton responded that he hadn't brought up the matter -- reporters had. In a statement to the Herald, Caton added that he was only kidding when he said that he had emailed Schneider a message saying that if the reports about similarities between the two films are true, "tell Adam Sandler [that he] owes me one." He added that he has not seen "Chuck and Larry." Nevertheless, the Herald reported that Shana Levine, one of the "Bedfellows" producers, is considering filing a copyright-infringement suit against the "Chuck and Larry" producers.
