Jim Carrey was supposed to face a civil lawsuit this spring over the death of his ex-girlfriend Cathriona White in 2015, but now the lawsuit has been dismissed.
White’s mother, Brigid Sweetman, and White’s estranged husband, Mark Burton, both filed lawsuits against Carrey (which were eventually amalgamated into one case), claiming that he provided the drugs White overdosed on. The body of the 30-year-old makeup artist, originally from Ireland, was discovered in her Los Angeles home. She and Carrey, 56, met in 2012, and had dated on and off.
READ MORE: Robert Wagner officially a ‘person of interest’ in Natalie Wood’s death
The back-and-forth between the parties has been going on for almost a year, and Carrey filed a countersuit in September, claiming the lawsuit was a money grab and an attempt to exploit him.
ARCHIVE: Watch previous coverage of Jim Carrey and the lawsuit, which has since been dismissed
“What a terrible shame,” Carrey wrote in a statement at the time. “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.
Get daily National news
“I will not tolerate this heartless attempt to exploit me or the woman I loved,” Carrey wrote. “I really hope that someday soon people will stop trying to profit from this and let her rest in peace.”
The A-list actor claimed White was trying to blackmail him by threatening to go public with false allegations that he had given her sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
READ MORE: ‘Glee’ cast reacts to news of Mark Salling’s death
Both Sweetman and Burton alleged that the STIs caused White much mental distress, and they said that it may have been one of the reasons why she overdosed.
On Thursday, Carrey’s representative confirmed that the lawsuits were dismissed on Jan. 25, and the actor “is looking forward to moving on with his life.”
“The case and all claims against Jim Carrey have been dismissed,” the rep said. “He is extremely grateful to everyone in his life who supported him throughout this challenging episode.”
Sweetman and Burton’s lawyer, Michael Avenatti, said that “Mr. Burton and Ms. Sweetman are pleased the case has been resolved. They appreciate the support they have received worldwide.”
There were no further details provided by either lawyer about the circumstances that led to the dismissal.
Global News and ET Canada have reached out for additional comment.
Comments