Kim Basinger filed for bankruptcy after being prosecuted for abandoning the role

The actor was ordered to pay millions in the studio behind a flop from the 90s.


The beginnings of the 1993 realization of Jennifer Lynch , daughter of Blue velvet director David Lynch , started with the promise. Early buzz for Helena Boxing - A thriller about a disturbed surgeon who kidnaps and quadruple -upstairs the beautiful contemptuous woman he wants and literally keeps her in a box - suggested an examination in advance of fragility, objectification and the agency that finally attracted 9 1/2 weeks star Kim Basinger to its titular role. But in an unexpected turn of events, the actor left when filming was starting - and this choice finally led to his bankruptcy.

The trial which resulted in the informal agreement which had linked it to the film led to serious financial consequences for Basinger when a jury found that it owed millions of producers for René. Read the rest for more details on the scandal of the early 90s which challenged Hollywood standards and brought the actor.

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Basinger signed the film after the death of Madonna.

Kim Basinger in 1992
Ron Galella, Ltd./ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Jennifer Lynch wrote the script for Helena Boxing When she was only 19 years old After a producer approached him with the idea of history and was also ready to direct him. While the psychosexual thriller was barely the Hollywood rate, he found the support of the main line images of the independent production studio and soon, Madonna was thrown into the main role , according to Weekly entertainment .

When the pop star fell because of fear "even she could not do justice" to Helena, a new Batman Basinger has shown interest in the role, which "believed to be a formidable showcase for an actress", according to Le'Gaux Documents . Basinger met the Lynch, then 22 years old, in January 1991 to discuss the film, including the processing of sex scenes involving "sensual" nudity, before verbally accepting to play it.

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She fell a few weeks before the start of filming.

Sherilyn Fenn and Julian Sands in Boxing Helena
Classic Orion

Basinger attached to the film and a transaction memo written, the production company quickly organized more than $ 6.8 million in foreign presale. But according to the cases documents, the actor changed agent in April, which caused the change of heart. When his new representation read the script and "Basinger finished making the film", the star fell just a few weeks before the start of the production, and the main line photos continued him for breach of contract.

When the case was tried in 1993, Basinger testified In front of a Los Angeles jury, which she had never fully approved the script and was not ready to make "graphic" rather than "artistic" nudity that she finally required, according to UPI. Meanwhile, the production company argued that it had lost months of effort to promote and raise funds for the film with the name of Basinger attached to it.

Sherilyn Fenn , who played in David's series Twin peaks , ended up playing Helena in front of the end Julian Sands Like his kidnapper.

The decision cost the basinger an arm and a leg.

Kim Basinger outside court in 1993
Ron Galella, Ltd./ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Hollywood paid particular attention to the test due to her long -time implications for rolling projects with handshakes due to the sensitive calendar of creative production. After 18 days of testimony, Basinger turned out to be in violation of the oral agreement to appear in the film, despite the lack of formalized contract. The jury awarded main line photos just under $ 9 million in damage , according to Variety.

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Basinger said bankruptcy when paying.

Kim Basinger in 1993
Shepard Sherbell / Corbis Saba / Corbis via Getty Images

Damage was then reduced to $ 7.4 million, more than $ 700,000 in legal fees. But when it came time to settle the debt, the Basinger lawyers revealed that the actor, who had essentially bought a city of Georgia for $ 20 million a few years earlier (according to the Chicago tribune ), was worth less than $ 5.4 million and therefore could not pay the judgment. Consequently, Basinger filed a bankruptcy file in chapter 11 which can. According to an article in 1995 variety, it later Installed with the studio For around $ 3.8 million after the initial decision is canceled. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

As for Helena Boxing , the big break for young Lynch was plagued by problems when the film received an initial note from the NC-17 of the MPAA and had delays to find the distribution, according to Weekly entertainment . Having already obtained a considerable notoriety - the title of the poster read "the most spoken of the film of the year" - he continued to flop both commercially and critical, Release less than $ 2 million at the national level And win a Golden Raspberry Prize for Lynch, who did not realize again for 15 years. Basinger, meanwhile, was able to get back to his finances and his reputation with the 1997s L.A. Confidential , which earned her the Academy Prize for the best support actress.

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