"Innocence of Muslims" actress Cindy Lee Garcia, who appeared in the amateur film that triggered deadly riots across North Africa and the Middle East, has filed a lawsuit against YouTube and the film’s producer, claiming emotional distress, invasion of privacy, false light, fraud and slander, among other charges.
After the “Innocence of Muslims” trailer garnered millions of hits on YouTube, Garcia claims she lost her job, received death threats and is no longer trusted to babysit her grandchildren, according to the complaint she filed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday and obtained by TheWrap.
Garcia also claimed the film’s producer Nakoula Bassely Nakoula (also known as Sam Bacile) told her that the fledgling project was a “historical Arabian Desert adventure film” — not an anti-Muslim statement — after she responded to his casting call in Backstage.
Also: 'Innocence of Muslims' Actress: I Thought I Was Appearing in Film About a Comet
The original script was called “Desert Warriors,” she alleges, and the Muslim prophet Mohammed was never mentioned on the set.
When Garcia asked Google, which owns YouTube, to remove the viral, defamatory video, the YouTube team refused, according to the complaint.
TheWrap has reached out to Google for comment on the lawsuit.
In addition to an injunction ordering the permanent removal of "Innocence" from YouTube, Garcia is seeking exemplary and punitive damages for "willful, wanton, malicious, and oppressive” acts.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
