Joe Tabacca/Joe Tabacca for New York Daily N
David Bar Katz — who discovered Philip Seymour Hoffmanan after his apparent overdose — pays his respects Tuesday to Mimi O'Donnell. Katz plans to sue the National Enquirer over 'libelous' reports that he and the actor were lovers.
The screenwriter who found Philip Seymour Hoffman dead flatly denied a supermarket tabloid's claim that he and doomed actor were lovers - and he's suing for $50 million.
"I never said that, no," David Bar Katz said Wednesday after leaving the West Village apartment of Hoffman's longtime girlfriend, Mimi O'Donnell.
Katz's denial was followed by a lawsuit that called the story "a complete fabrication.”
“There was no interview,” Katz’s lawyer claimed in the suit. “Bar Katz and Hoffman were never lovers. Bar Katz did not see Hoffman freebasing cocaine the night before he died or at any other time. Bar Katz never saw Hoffman use heroin or cocaine.”
Katz’s lawyer, Judd Burstein, said “this article is just disgusting.”
“Here you have Phil's family and his friends grieving, and the Enquirer comes along seeking to make a buck through putrid lies,” Burstein said. “Worse still, it appears that the Enquirer sent out a press release hyping the story so that it could sell more copies of the magazine. I do not know how these people can sleep at night.”
The lawsuit is seeking $5 million in damages and another $45 million in punitive damages.
An English-accented man who identified himself as the "editor in chief" at the National Enquirer said "this is news to me" when reached by a Daily News reporter
"As far as I know, the interview was done on Sunday by a staff reporter," he said.
When asked to confirm he was in fact Tony Frost, the British head honcho at the National Enquirer, the man said "I'll get right back to you."
Then he hung up.
The National Enquirer story, written by John Blosser, Brette Trost and Robert Hartlein, claimed Hoffman fell off the wagon and began shooting up heroin because he was confused over his sexual identity.
Hoffman won an Oscar playing gay writer Truman Capote in the 2005 movie "Capote."
"We were homosexual lovers," Katz said, according to the tab. "We had a relationship."
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Katz then supposedly stated that he saw Hoffman shoot-up several times and freebase cocaine the night before he died.
"We were planning to go to the Super Bowl together and have a really nice day," he said, according to the tab. "This is so terrible."
It was Katz who discovered Hoffman dead of an apparent drug overdose on Sunday.
He had gone to Hoffman's rented West Village apartment to check up on his friend when the actor didn't show up at a nearby playground to see his three kids.
Katz, who has four kids of his own, was "like brothers" with Hoffman, a friend of his told The Daily News.
"I never said that, no," David Bar Katz said Wednesday after leaving the West Village apartment of Hoffman's longtime girlfriend, Mimi O'Donnell.
Katz's denial was followed by a lawsuit that called the story "a complete fabrication.”
“There was no interview,” Katz’s lawyer claimed in the suit. “Bar Katz and Hoffman were never lovers. Bar Katz did not see Hoffman freebasing cocaine the night before he died or at any other time. Bar Katz never saw Hoffman use heroin or cocaine.”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Bar Katz, George Liberato are seen palling around.
“Here you have Phil's family and his friends grieving, and the Enquirer comes along seeking to make a buck through putrid lies,” Burstein said. “Worse still, it appears that the Enquirer sent out a press release hyping the story so that it could sell more copies of the magazine. I do not know how these people can sleep at night.”
The lawsuit is seeking $5 million in damages and another $45 million in punitive damages.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Philip Seymour Hoffman lived with girlfriend Mimi O'Donnell, the mother of his children, before his death.
"As far as I know, the interview was done on Sunday by a staff reporter," he said.
When asked to confirm he was in fact Tony Frost, the British head honcho at the National Enquirer, the man said "I'll get right back to you."
DANIEL DAL ZENNARO/EPA
Philip Seymour Hoffmann was found dead Sunday in an apartment he was renting. He and Katz were 'like brothers,' a friend says.
The National Enquirer story, written by John Blosser, Brette Trost and Robert Hartlein, claimed Hoffman fell off the wagon and began shooting up heroin because he was confused over his sexual identity.
Hoffman won an Oscar playing gay writer Truman Capote in the 2005 movie "Capote."
"We were homosexual lovers," Katz said, according to the tab. "We had a relationship."
David Bar Katz plans to take legal action over allegations that he and the Oscar winner were anything more than friends.
Katz then supposedly stated that he saw Hoffman shoot-up several times and freebase cocaine the night before he died.
"We were planning to go to the Super Bowl together and have a really nice day," he said, according to the tab. "This is so terrible."
It was Katz who discovered Hoffman dead of an apparent drug overdose on Sunday.
He had gone to Hoffman's rented West Village apartment to check up on his friend when the actor didn't show up at a nearby playground to see his three kids.
Katz, who has four kids of his own, was "like brothers" with Hoffman, a friend of his told The Daily News.
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