Two years after being arrested on suspicion of sexually explicit communication with a minor, “Game of Thrones” actor Joseph Gatt is suing the city of Los Angeles, the city’s police and District Attorney George Gascón.
He is asking for a $40 million in damages against the defendants, whom he claims violated his constitutional rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment.
The suit comes six weeks after an LA judge dismissed the felony case against Gatt without prejudice — meaning that the case could be reopened if new evidence arises, pending the statute of limitations.
The actor, who played the Thenn Warg on the HBO hit series, said that the “shocking and intentional destruction” of his career was the result of “thoroughly botched criminal investigation.” He allges that Deputy District Attorney Angela Brunson, who is also named in the suit “sought to destroy Gatt based on nothing more than bias and personal animosity.”
The legal filing states that Gatt was subjected underwent “malicious prosecution” when defendants took the word of a 16-year-old obsessed fan who created “obviously fake” text exchanges between herself and the actor.
Gatt said that after he was “publicly branded as a serial pedophile,” he dropped by his agent and public relations rep, was fired from two movies in which he had been cast and had his scenes removed from already completed films.
Besides Gascón and Brunson, the suit also names LAPD Detective Denos Amarantos and 10 unidentified defendants. A spokesperson for the District Attorney’s office told Courthouse News Service that they cannot comment on pending civil litigation.
Gatt’s other feature credits include “Dumbo,” “Star Trek Into Darkness” and “Black Adam.” He also played The Albino in five episodes of the Cinemax series “Banshees.” Additionally, he has voiced several characters in video games, including “The Elder Scrolls Online.”
At the time of his arrest, he called the allegations “horrifying and completely untrue” and that the LAPD’s details were “100% categorically wrong and reckless.”
Deadline first reported this story.
