There were quiet rumors about Brad Pitt’s Make It Right NOLA project for several years. The rumors involved shoddy workmanship, and the MIR homes being unliveable after a few years. Apparently, the MIR homeowners really did try to deal with everything quietly, and they repeatedly asked MIR to help them deal with all of the problems in their homes. MIR did next to nothing to help them, and the city had to come and destroy several of the MIR homes because they were so shoddily made. So over the summer, the homeowners organized as a group and sued MIR and Brad Pitt. Brad’s team has being doing a lot to make it sound like it was just an issue with one architect, or one supplier, and that Brad had walked away from MIR years ago therefore he had no liability. Now it seems that Brad wants the homeowners’ class action lawsuit thrown out, or just the part of the lawsuit where he would be held accountable.
Brad Pitt is demanding a class action lawsuit filed against him and his charity over the homes built following Hurricane Katrina be tossed out, and claims it was not his responsibility to make sure the homes were properly built. On November 20, the actor filed court documents in Louisiana in the lawsuit brought against him and his Make It Right Foundation.
Pitt says Make It Right was founded, “with the mission of building high-performance, sustainably-designed homes to be sold at affordable prices to residents of the Lower Ninth Ward, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.” The star says he had no duty personally to the homeowners and did not breach any deal with them. Translation: “I’m an actor, not a construction worker.”
Pitt points out that the plaintiffs have previously praised him for leading the charge on building the homes, and specifically mentioned “that they are extremely grateful to Mr. Pitt for his efforts in helping to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward.” The court docs state, “Mr. Pitt cannot simply be lumped together with other defendants and held liable for alleged conduct in which he is not even alleged to have participated.”
The actor’s lawyers argue that the “Petition contains no allegations that Mr. Pitt committed any act or omission, other than in his capacity as a Director, which allegedly caused plaintiffs emotional distress, much less a physical injury.” Pitt is demanding he be dismissed entirely out of the case. He is not requesting that Make It Right be let off the hook, but only wants himself personally dismissed.
Make it Right Foundation was founded by Pitt to help residents move back to the Lower Ninth Ward following Hurricane Katrina. The charity helped build affordable homes and sold them to residents whose homes were destroyed.
Again, I can’t help but think of how much credit Brad took when he formed MIR. He was on the cover of Architectural Digest. He was giving interviews in New Orleans to the Today Show. He was hosting charity events for MIR in New Orleans. He wanted so much credit, and he got it. And now that everything is covered in mold and water damage, he’s like “I don’t know her” and “I’m just an actor, y’all.” I mean, I’m sure he has some sort of legal argument, but considering all of the credit he got for MIR when it was considered successful, it seems stupid for him to now claim that he has no responsibility of liability.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, WENN.
It’s just one more disappointment after another with this guy. *sigh* I used to really like him. I mean, I really thought he was a good person. Now I’m just disgusted by him.
Nothing he does is ever his fault, is it? What a jerkwad.
I was just thinking the exact same thing, this is so disappointing.
^ all of this. I believe the technical term is douchenozzle?
I al starting to think he is the kind of person who doesn’t take responsibilities for anything.
And, probably I am wrong, he has the same attitude he has in his divorce: it’s all someone else fault. Here is the architect, there is Angie.
He also comes across as really dumb that he can’t see how petulant this ongoing failure to take responsibility makes him look. Angie really is well rid.
I feel so sorry for those left to pick up the pieces here and hope they find some proper resolution.
SMH.
Unsurprising move from this jerkoff.
Shouldn’t they be able to go through the discovery process before this jerk off is let off the hook? I’m sure he took credit for a lot of the stuff in interviews
OH BRAD LOOK HOW FAR YOU HAVE FALLEN.. EVERYONE THINKS LITTLE OF YOU NOW. WITH ALL THE SMEARING HE HAS DONE TO ANGIE ITS ALL COMING BACK TO BITE HIS ASS… WHAT A JERK
Atleast you used a different header pic…the one from the movie set gives me the creeps,he looks ‘Here’s Johnny’ crazy.
I have a question, why were the new owners even made to pay anything? I mean these people just lost their homes and all their possessions, have been displaced, probably lost their jobs and now instead of giving them a new home you make them pay for it and now to top it off you made them pay for a crappy falling apart home, disgusting how can they live with themselves.
That would be called Socialism and Republicans can’t have that. Unless it’s a bank being bailed out. Or Wall Street. Only wealthy people are given anything for free.
He Lacks a Soul.
And apparently a sensitivity chip.
LOL. Nice reference.
Jen is a saint ….. it’s horrible what she went through alone while the world was being fooled by this guy.
It took a while, but the truth about him is out…and finally in a way we can all understand and see for ourselves.
He’s Republican???????????????????????????????
1) No, which he’s made clear
2) That’s not a crime. You hate half the country?
@Sis Actually, only 24% of voters are registered Republicans, far less than half of the country.
I bet he was one of the dude bros who voted for trump because bernie wasn’t an option and Hilary and her emails. 🙄
Can one of our awesome legal guru commenters explain this? How is he not liable? Even if his role was more as a figure head than an organizer (ie he helped bring in money/publicity rather than find/interview/hire contractors and suppliers) isn’t he responsible for knowing what he is bankrolling? Isn’t it the same as Ja Rule and the Frye festival debacle?
Pitt was a director on the non-profit corporation board. That shields his liability even if he was the primary donor. I think Ja Rule just did it out of his own pocket. which is unbelievably dumb.
hes liable. He pulled some other building scam apparently on a Native American reservation as well.
He posed for too many pics holding a set of house plans, and this was his personal baby. He’s the ringleader….and took the credit and glory……so he’s stuck. His intent was obvious and documented in print everywhere.
Yeah, that’s not the way the law works… Besides that Montana lawsuit appears to be a dispute about a lack of payment. That foundation is a mess and liable, but it doesn’t mean that Brad Pitt is personally liable. If you ever sit on a non-profit board, you will be happy to have directors and officers insurance that protects you personally when things go awry. ONE CAVEAT – if the board members were found to be lacking in their fiduciary duty to the organization, then there may be personal liability. That must be proven though and it’s usually a high bar.
This seems entirely a legal argument though. The article clearly states that he is seeking to remove himself personally but is NOT asking that MIR not be held accountable. As CEO or Director he is responsible but as an individual admitting culpability is probably a bad idea since the lawyers could then come after assets that have nothing to do with MIR.
I don’t like how he’s handled the MIR issues but this seems like a common sense legal thing that anyone would do. This is why structures like LLCs exist, so that individuals can protect personal assets from any problems with their business. It’s why we have malpractice insurance and business insurance in general.
That said, if the judge grants this it will certainly limit the amount that the plaintiffs can win, since MIR likely has significantly fewer assets than Pitt.
He really should have fixed these issues well before it got to this point. Regardless of whose fault it is he could pretty easily afford to build new, non experimental homes for these families and actually do what he originally promised. Make it right indeed.
That time I defended Brad Pitt…
Lots of people try to hold individual directors of a corporation liable, but it’s really hard to prove personal liability. The director has to have done something that is willful misconduct not just a bad business decision. The corporation has directors and officers insurance, which is what will fund the pay out to these folks. They’re just going through the motions here and will eventually negotiate a settlement. I don’t doubt their claims.
Having been to the Lower 9th post-Katrina several times and lived in NOLA, I can tell you no one else would ever have even tried this project there. It’s a terrible place to build ecologically and urban design wise – especially after the community was decimated. Pitt tried something no one smart or looking to make $ would do. He brought a lot of attention to the Lower 9th Ward that they would have never received. He wasn’t good at the actual building and it failed. He ignored the problem. This particular event doesn’t make him a bad person – just a bad builder and there are a million of those in the US.
So what’s his excuse for the Native American reservation scam?
He’s liable.
As much as this whole MIR thing has bothered me from the start, I think you’re right, he’s trying to separate his personal property from MIR, which anyone would do. The architects and contractors will all have professional liability insurance – MIR should also, I would hope.
If he tries to get MIR off the case, then I’ll have serious problems with it, and as the head of MIR, he does bear responsibility through that organization. But this legal maneuver makes sense.
I do find his hands off approach with MIR pretty gross though, because he was certainly happy to take all the praise and credit until things went bad.
Don’t we all get it now. Brad is a saint and never does anything to incur anyones anger because of course he is handsome, charming and rich and a man. So MIR who? He certainly took as much credit as he could when he was promoting himself but now he has bigger fish to fry. He is Hollywoods new “woke” producer and most eligible soon to be bachelor. Such a disappointment he has turned out to be and I didn’t marry him.
Hmmm. Is there a pattern coming up with these male actors in their fifties turning into complete douchebags? We had Johnny Depp, now Brad Pitt. Who is next to tear down the facade and show what awful human beings they are?
Robert Downey Jr did the opposite and became awesome haha
Hugh Jackman is starting to not pass the smell test, either, what with being so buddy buddy with the Kushners.
Agreed, which is a shame.
As long as Keanu Reeves doesn’t turn into bad then I am ok…
I don’t see that ever happening Maya, thank goodness!
No…I think this is just a p!tt thing.
I was just thinking that! Depp now Brad Pitt. I think next will be George Clooney and Leo Di Caprio (not as green and ecological as he proclaims)
Can he pin this on Jolie?
I am sure he desperately wishes he could!
No he can not pin this on Angelina because it is his foundation only.
I mean, wasn’t he the one who *founded* the whole MIR thing? It was “his” foundation/ charity; he certainly was the figurehead for it & got tons of attention & credit for it. Technically legally-bound or not (I have no clue about the specifics of the legal arguments) – it just seems like the RIGHT thing to do, to be actually involved throughout the life of the project and try to make sure the poor people who had already lost everything in Katrina weren’t further victimized by this ongoing hell of not actually having a decent, safe place to live. (WTF, *** how*** many millions-of-dollars real estate properties does he hold around the world? … Seems he’d be able to help people a little more personally… *then* I’d give him some credit back.) It’s like, first there was Hurricane Katrina which completely devastated so many people, then some of the “luckier” ones have now been dealing with the ongoing onerousness of Hurricane Brad Pitt’s Ego!
… Kinda seems like a trend, tho, w him. Be super-gung ho! and high-profile about a thing in the beginning, then after a while kinda phone it in, then walk away/ distance himself, then whine a lot when it falls through *cough*
And considering how much money MIR raised, you’d think they’d be right there trying to help fix the problems, but it sounds like they really dropped the ball. It never should have come to this point, and I feel so badly for the residents who were victimized TWICE.
All his relationships have been that way too. He goes all in dressing like the woman, dying his hair color her hair color, living the life she’s living, proclaiming his undying love. Then phones it in and eventually it all blows up. It’s classic sociopathy.
Argh! Brad Pitt is a complete tool! I’m sick of him and his BS.
I’m not a lawyer, but if he took credit for it, if he was the face for it, if he pretended he was the mastermind behind everything then I’m sure any lawyer can make him liable. You want the win? You better also get ready for loss.
EDIT: too many Cee’s around Celebitchy! Although I can’t possibly say I was the first to comment, I will be changing my name (not that anyone cares LOL)
Ever since this lawsuit came out I wonder how much involvement Mike Holmes had, because his reputation would be shattered. Maybe he can do a show about rebuilding these houses.
Some can try to excuse his actions all they want, he is still a piece of horse manure.
So then what about the Native American reservation building scam?
And for a guy who is now just an actor, he sure did a lot of posing as an architect and was always seen carrying around a set of plans (blueprints). We always knew he was posing…..but still.
Who supports this guy? No one I know. But now I’ll make sure to not support anything he’s on the periphery of either. If he is an any way attached to anything, even from behind the scenes I will not support it.
WTF? That’s not the issue here. The MIR foundation in NOLA is the issue.
Brad’s actions are the issue.
Make It Right is literally the name of the foundation. Are they serious right now saying not their issue? Abhorrent.
Sign on Brad Pitt’s desk: “The Buck Stop There —————->”.
Truman he ain’t.
When it was on aand popping I said it… He was just using it for publicity but didn’t do the work. And now he’s basically confirming that. I said the same about Brangelina… Angie and nannies were doing all the child work. Proved right again. Now from the beginning I’ve been saying he ain’t doing sh^^t as a producer and his Oscar is a damn sham and fake – a citric basically confirmed that by saying vice a plan b produced movie has nada to do with Brad Pitt “just name only” is basically what Brad producing is and everything else notible
He’s a damn joke.
He got a bunch of awards that I bet are on his mantle And he should give them back.
“Winning ” awards for shit you didn’t do must feel pretty empty.