Law & Politics
Alec Baldwin Compares Mary Boone to a Bank Robber
The court can't just let her return my money, argues Baldwin.
Actor Alec Baldwin is continuing his fight against art dealer Mary Boone, and has come up with a novel analogy in his argument against the New York dealer’s attempt to have the case dismissed.
In 2010, Baldwin bought a Ross Bleckner painting from Boone for $190,000 and now alleges that the painting she delivered is not the one he paid for.
Friday’s filing, in New York Supreme Court, argues for more than a mere refund:
“Dismissing [his] demand for punitive damages, and allowing defendants to pay nothing but compensatory damages (essentially a refund), would be akin to asking a bank robber to simply return the money if caught; it would tell New York’s art dealers that fraud pays,” says the new court filing.
Mary Boone. Courtesy of Paul Bruinooge/PatrickMcMullan.com.
“Mr. Baldwin’s papers say nothing new and his claims are just as false as they have always been,” writes Ted Poretz, attorney to Mary Boone, in an email to artnet News. “We look forward to our day in court and we are confident this lawsuit will be swiftly dismissed.”
Not only is Baldwin comparing Boone to the perpetrator of a bank heist for selling him what he says is a counterfeit of the 1996 canvas Sea and Mirror, he also alleges that he’s not her first victim.
“So steadfast and expert was Ms. Boone in her deception, that it is apparent Mr. Baldwin is not the first customer that she and her gallery had duped,” say court papers.
The filing throws even more shade on Boone by suggesting that she has come down in the world:
Mary Boone was once one of the most prominent New York City art gallery owners, and built her reputation in the 1980s representing artists such as Ross Bleckner, Eric Fischle (sic), and David Salle. … But her star has faded and the success of her gallery has waned as she has lost several critical artists to rival dealers, including Mr. Fischle (sic) and Mr. Salle.
In the meantime, it appears Baldwin is ready to continue his Twitter war with president-elect Donald Trump.
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