Back in July, actress Lindsay Lohan took action against Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games and publisher Take-Two Interactive in the form of a lawsuit, saying the developer unlawfully used Lohan's appearance in Grand Theft Auto V.
Initially it appeared Lohan was suing over one particular character in the game named Lacey Jonas, a Hollywood starlet that the player must whisk away from the paparazzi in one optional side mission of the game. While driving Jonas through fictional Los Angeles, Jonas spouts lines like "How is my hair? Do I look cute?" and tells the player to avoid injuring the photographers, as she doesn't need any more lawsuits.
Information revealed from in-game gossip websites and conversations reveals Jonas is also anorexic. Lohan, in her suit, takes issue with the character and the fact that the game features a version of West Hollywood's Chateau Hotel, where Lohan lived for several months in 2012 and was reportedly banned from.
Now it looks like Lohan's suit is extending beyond the Jonas character and to a particular female character depicted on much of the game's promotional art. Via the Hollywood Reporter, the suit says the image of the blonde-haired, red bikini-clad woman throwing up a peace sign below, seen on various advertisements and on the game disc itself, mimics a photo Lohan took in 2007. The lawsuit points towards the peace sign in particular as being proof that Rockstar modeled the image after Lohan's likeness.
Take-Two isn't being complacent in the legal battle. Not only does the publisher want the lawsuit dismissed, but is demanding sanctions saying Lohan's claim "is so legally merit less that it lacks any good-faith basis and can only have been filed for publicity purposes."
Take-Two attempted to get the case settled by raising a statute of limitations defense, saying the game and Jonas character Lohan took issue with has been in the game since launch over a year ago and that too much time has passed to take legal action against it.
Lohan's side says republication of promotional materials and the game that feature her likeness should satisfy the exception to the one year statute of limitation. Take-Two also has the issue of Grand Theft Auto V being re-released on next-gen consoles next month, giving Lohan another way to possibly avoid the statute of limitations.
All in all it looks like Lohan is now suing over two different characters and the images associated with each. Whether or not she has a case will be up to a New York judge to decide.
