Actress Cindy Lee Garcia, who appeared in the crude, low-budget film "Innocence of Muslims" - whose aggressively negative portrayal of the prophet Mohammed has caused a violent reaction in the Muslim world - has decided to sue both youtube and the film's producers after receiving death threats for her participation in the project.
Garcia sued the film's producer and YouTube, claiming that clips from the controversial anti-Islam movie have led to death threats against her.
"Emotionally, I am very disturbed," Garcia said outside court on Thursday. "My whole life has been turned upside down in every aspect," she added.
She said she can't visit her grandchildren for fear that they might be harmed.
Like many actors desperate for work, Garcia signed onto the project in the hopes of paying some bills and perhaps being discovered for her work in the movie. Well, she got the latter, but not in the way she was hoping.
Garcia claims she was duped by the filmmaker and was shocked when she saw the final product.
Garcia said in her legal action that she was tricked into working in the film. Filmmaker Sam Bacile (the name appears to be a pseudonym for Nakoula Basseley Nakoula) allegedly told Garcia that he was making a movie called "Desert Warrior" that was "an adventure film ... about ancient Egyptians" and that there would be neither "references made to religion" or sexual content.
Her efforts in the youtube aspect of her suit, at least, seem unlikely to succeed, since an L.A. county judge has already blocked any attempt to have the footage removed from youtube, citing 1st Amendment rights issues.
It will be interesting to see how the suit against the movie's producer fares.