After being sued for the second time for the wrongful death of his late ex-girlfriend Cathriona White, Jim Carrey has fired back, calling the latest lawsuit a “shakedown.”
The second suit was filed by White’s mother, Brigid Sweetman, and the first lawsuit, filed in September, was submitted by White’s estranged husband, Mark Burton, via lawyer. Both parties claim Carrey is responsible for White’s passing. According to the toxicology report, White took her own life at age 30 by overdosing on Carrey’s and her own prescription medication (a combination of sleeping pills, painkillers and beta blockers).
Burton’s suit focuses on the pill-supplying aspect, while Sweetman contends that Carrey infected his daughter with multiple sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and then tried to get her to sign a document alleviating him of responsibility. Neither of these accusations have been proven in court.
READ MORE: Jim Carrey confirms girlfriend’s death: “We have all been hit with a lightning bolt”
Carrey’s legal team filed documents on Tuesday, claiming that the Ace Ventura actor cannot be held liable for White’s death.
“There is absolutely no evidence that Carrey furnished his prescription medications to White. Rather, she stole them.”
As for the STI claims, Carrey’s legal team vehemently denies them and says “Sweetman and her attorney released the embarrassing information about White solely in an attempt to gain leverage against Carrey.”
The documents also highlight that White sought to reconnect with Carrey in 2014, long after the “purported accusations” of STIs. They also claim that White apologized for making the accusations.
Carrey and his team go after Sweetman’s credibility too, claiming she “abandoned her family during White’s childhood” and was “long estranged” from her daughter when she died. The A-list actor insists that he and White were a “loving couple up to the day of her death.” They had apparently been planning to move in together: the legal documents say the pair was in the process of “finalizing a cohabitation agreement shortly before her death with the intent of living together as a couple permanently.”
READ MORE: Jim Carrey sued for ex-girlfriend’s death again, this time by her mother
His legal team says Sweetman asked Carrey to buy her a house in 2015, “and when he declined she became angry and bitter.”
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing both plantiffs, responded to Carrey’s filing in a statement.
“Earlier today, Jim Carrey filed a baseless motion with the court as part of his continued attack on a grieving mother,” the statement read. “His conduct is disgusting and dishonest. Who attacks a mother of a dead girl?”
“Carrey and his ‘fixer’ lawyers are trying to deceive the media and the public,” it continues. “They are making up facts they know to be untrue in an effort to save Carrey’s career, which was over when he lied about not having STDs. Carrey is a fraud and when he is forced to testify under oath, the ugly truth will be laid bare. We are confident that the court will see through the nonsense Carrey is peddling.”
Carrey says that while he’s “devastated by White’s death,” he is “not responsible for it.” He says “it is outrageous that Sweetman, long estranged and motivated by greed, now seeks blood money.”
Carrey, 54, and White broke up in the summer of 2015, and White began to suffer severe emotional distress shortly afterwards. It turns out, as was revealed in the autopsy report, that the suicide note she left is actually directly addressed to Carrey.
READ MORE: Jim Carrey responds to ‘evil’ lawsuit: I will not be exploited
Carrey released this statement shortly after her passing:
“I am shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of my sweet Cathriona. She was a truly kind and delicate Irish flower, too sensitive for this soil, to whom loving and being loved was all that sparkled. My heart goes out to her family and friends and to everyone who loved and cared about her. We have all been hit with a lightning bolt.”
The pair met in 2012 and started dating on-and-off until her death. Dennis Bradshaw, a close friend of White’s, told police that she was normally jovial and upbeat, but had periods of time when she was “really down.” White mentioned missing her family in Ireland, claimed Bradshaw, but said she was “madly in love with Jim” despite their “roller-coaster” relationship.
READ MORE: Jim Carrey lawsuit: Late girlfriend’s estranged husband sues for wrongful death
At the time it was filed, Carrey made a statement about Burton’s lawsuit.
“What a terrible shame,” Carrey wrote. “It would be easy for me to get in a back room with this man’s lawyer and make this go away, but there are some moments in life when you have to stand up and defend your honour against the evil in this world. I will not tolerate this heartless attempt to exploit me or the woman I loved. I really hope that some day soon people will stop trying to profit from this and let her rest in peace.”
That statement differs wildly from text messages between the couple that surfaced in Burton’s lawsuit papers: they seem to indicate that White was not feeling well and describes what might be symptoms of an STI. Carrey seems more concerned about avoiding an unwanted pregnancy.
READ MORE: Jim Carrey girlfriend autopsy report: Suicide note reveals tragic details
In February 2013, Burton says that White wrote Carrey about finding “a couple of bumps” and wanting to go get “checked.” Carrey responds, saying that he hopes White will be “OK.”
In the last released exchange, Carrey allegedly ensures that White is on birth control pills.
Michael Avenatti, Burton’s lawyer, calls the texts “recently uncovered evidence.”
“We have located nearly every text message, picture and email between them over the last four years by conducting a forensic examination of electronic media,” said Avenatti. “The evidence will show that Carrey and his handlers are not shooting straight with the media or the public.”
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, is in crisis or needs someone to talk to, you can find 24-hour help through the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.