Ex-UFC Fighter Zingano Sues Halle Berry for Breaking Promise to Cast Her in Movie - Report

© AP Photo / Chris PizzelloHalle Berry arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles.
Halle Berry arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. - Sputnik International, 1920, 17.08.2021
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Berry is set to release her directorial debut, sports drama "Bruised" this November, in which she also stars as an old Mixed Martial Arts fighter yearning for a second chance in the octagon.
Hollywood star Halle Berry is embroiled in a legal battle with Cat Zingano, a former UFC fighter who claims the actress dumped her on a movie assignment, TMZ reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, Zingano named the 55-year-old actress in her lawsuit for allegedly approaching her in 2019 while preparing for her upcoming movie. Berry allegedly asked Zingano to keep her schedule free so she could be ready to act in the film when it was time to start production, the lawsuit reportedly said.
Zingano, on the other hand, reportedly received a fight offer from the UFC not long after. The fighter claimed she spoke with Berry about the event and whether it would have an effect on her upcoming film debut.
Berry allegedly urged her to turn down the fight offer due to the movie insurer's liability concerns. Then, Zingano said she declined the bout and was soon dismissed from her UFC contract as a result.
According to the report, Berry subsequently notified Zingano that she could no longer be part of the film because she was no longer an active UFC fighter, despite Berry being the one who convinced her not to take on a new bout.
Soon after that, the star of "Monster's Ball" cut off all communication with the now-former UFC fighter. This attitude of the Oscar-winning actress reportedly prompted Zingano to file a lawsuit for lost opportunities.
According to the photos circulating online a couple of years ago, Berry attended UFC training and fights, collecting material for the role and her first time as a director.
Earlier, Berry claimed she was not initially invited to star in or direct the film, which was reportedly designed with Blake Lively in mind as the leading role, according to Entertainment Weekly. Berry then found that she kept going over the storyline again after Lively departed from the project. Berry reportedly tried to make the story more about a performer having a last opportunity rather than just another one, which makes the film reminiscent of the critically-acclaimed "Wrestler" starring Mickey Rourke.
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