Stephen Baldwin Files Lawsuit Against Kevin Costner Over BP Oil Spill Deal
Dec 23, 2010 01:59 PM
The BP oil spill made a lot of people angry, but who knew it would result in a lawsuit between Stephen Baldwin and Kevin Costner?
Baldwin and friend Spyridon Contogouris filed a suit Wednesday in New Orleans claiming Costner and his business partner Patrick Smith cut them out of their fair share of an $18 million deal with BP, who agreed to purchase oil-separating centrifuges from Ocean Therapy Solutions, a company the actors formed after the April 20 spill.
BP ordered 32 of the centrifuges from Ocean Therapy Solutions after Costner and Smith visited Port Fourchon in June to meet with BP and discuss their plan to help with the spill using their product.
Baldwin and Contogouris claim they were deliberately excluded from the meeting in which BP executive Doug Suttles agreed to make a $18 million deposit on a $52 million order for the 32 devices. The suit claims three days later Baldwin and Contogouris agreed to sell their shares of the company for $1.4 million and $500,000, respectively, and were not made aware of any deal concerning BP and Costner.
Mr. Baldwin and friend claim in the suit they were "schemed" to use money from BP's deposit to buy their shares in the company, and they were entitled to profits from the $52 million deal made with BP.
The suit states:
- "This action effectively robbed plaintiffs of a distribution that otherwise would have been payable to plaintiffs."
Baldwin and Contogouris seek unspecified damages. Costner's rep has declined to comment on the suit's allegations.
Just in case his recent interviews pledging to save the blackened-to-a-crisp souls of Hollywood bigshots hadn't clued you in already, check out these photos we snapped of Stephen Baldwin picking up a new skateboard in Hollywood - he hasn't just flipped for Jesus, he's kickflipped for Him! 
