Producer Responds To Lawsuit From Farrah Fawcett's Living Trust

"Farrah's Story" producer believes the footage will speak for itself

"Farrah's Story" executive producer Craig J. Nevius is responding to allegations in a lawsuit filed by Richard B. Francis, trustee of the late Farrah Fawcett's Fawcett Living Trust.

According to court papers filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday and obtained by Access Hollywood, Francis, on behalf of Fawcett's Living Trust, is suing Nevius, claiming that he embezzled "hundreds of thousands of dollars" from the late star after she allegedly rejected his cut of the documentary "Farrah's Story," and handed over creative control to longtime love Ryan O'Neal.

But in a statement to Access Hollywood, Nevius took aim at the lawsuit.

"These accusations are nothing more than a fabricated press release disguised as a lawsuit," Nevius said in his statement to Access. "As much as I would like to answer the allegations and disprove them right here and right now in the court of public opinion, I will wait to do so in a court of law. Out of respect to Farrah, I limited the focus of my lawsuit against Richard Francis, Ryan O'Neal and Alana Stewart to issues of contract interference. But it now seems that at least one of the defendants wants to widen the scope of litigation to issues of artistic integrity and the personal relationships between parties. If that is the case, I will be happy to let the work Farrah and I did together (over years) speak for itself."

Francis further alleges in the suit on behalf of the trust, that Nevius' cut of the film was "amateurish and sensationalized," and claims O'Neal then took creative control of the documentary. The film, which chronicled the "Charlie's Angels" actress' battle with cancer, aired on NBC in 2009.

However, Nevius told Access that the footage itself would bear out the truth of his relationship with Fawcett, who died in June 2009.

"I will be more than happy to let the video tapes, documents, witnesses and Farrah's own words (both written and spoken) speak for me and defend me," he said in the statement. "Finally removing all doubt and suspicion as to what actually happened during the final months of her life and who her real exploiters are. This is a fight Francis, O'Neal and Stewart cannot win."


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