It could have been a scene plucked directly out of an episode of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," but this time, it was all too real. "Curb" star Jeff Garlin is now being sued by the woman whose car he allegedly vandalized in a dispute over a parking spot, leading to his arrest last Saturday and a night spent in jail. (The L.A. city attorney has since dropped the charges.)
New allegations about the incident have emerged in the civil lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. According to the complaint, the plaintiff — described as a "small woman, 5' 2" in height" — was in her car with a friend in the parking lot of a Studio City CVS pharmacy. Gridlock ensued, and the woman allegedly "made a face" at Garlin after he refused to move his car so she could park.
Once she did find a spot, the complaint states, Garlin "got out of his car, followed her from behind and slammed his fist against the driver's side window so hard that it broke the glass." Garlin then allegedly approached the windshield and "stuck his face in front of her in a threatening way, gave her the 'finger' and screamed crazily at her." He then "began yelling to her friend to call the police."
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At that point, the plaintiff, who says she did not recognize the comedian, allegedly drove away from the scene, but her companion got out, returned to Garlin's car and took a photo of his license plate. The companion called the police, who arrived at the scene and arrested Garlin.
The woman is seeking unspecified damages "in an amount subject to proof at trial." The causes of action are assault, intentional destruction of personal property and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
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"I can tell you that it’s just so not sexy," Garlin recently told The New York Times of the incident. "And not what was portrayed. It was horrible being in jail, although I’m gonna have a great routine about it. But the greatest stress, for my family and myself, was that what was being written and talked about truly wasn’t true."
A representative for Garlin had no comment on the lawsuit.