Troyer settles sex tape suit

2008-07-19 11:01

Los Angeles - Actor Verne Troyer has settled a lawsuit he filed against a porn broker after the defendant agreed not distribute a sex tape depicting Troyer and a former girlfriend, court documents filed Friday show.

Troyer filed a $20m lawsuit against porn broker Kevin Blatt, distributor SugarDVD and celebrity gossip website TMZ after snippets of the 50-minute tape were released last month.

Records show Blatt and SugarDVD have signed agreements requiring that they get Troyer's approval before selling or distributing the tape or any images from it.

Edwin McPherson, one of Troyer's attorneys, said the actor has no intention of ever granting approval.

McPherson said he planned to amend the lawsuit on Monday to try to prevent Ranae Shrider, Troyer's ex-girlfriend, from releasing the tape.

Shrider leaked snippets of the tape to TMZ, according to a statement filed in federal court by the site. Shrider indicated the tape was recorded on her video equipment and that she was a partial owner.

Troyer, who is best-known for his role as Mini Me in two of the Austin Powers movies, has been seeking the return of the tape.

McPherson said other people or companies may also be sued to prevent the tape from being released.

Records do not indicate whether US District Judge Philip Gutierrez, who has presided over the case, signed off on the agreements Friday afternoon. But since all parties agreed to them, McPherson said he saw no reason why they wouldn't be granted.

"We achieved our goal," McPherson said.

The agreements do not place any restrictions on TMZ, which won a judge's approval to restore an online posting about the tape's existence after it was originally ordered removed by Gutierrez.

- AP