Actress Sues IMDb for $1 Million for Revealing Her Age

An actress is suing iMDb and Amazon.com for revealing her age. The plantiff, who has chosen to remain anonymous, says in a lawsuit that "in the entertainment industry, youth is king" and that by divulging her secret, the website has cost her acting jobs.

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The woman, who is said to be of Asian descent, says in the complaint filed in federal court in Seattle that she signed up for the pro version of Internet Movie Database in 2008. Soon thereafter, she noticed that the legal date of her birth was listed on her public profile. The plaintiff believes that the site was able to obtain her information because in signing up to iMDb Pro, she was required to give detailed personal and credit card information.

Attaching an age to her name was detrimental, she says.

"If one is perceived to be 'over-the-hill,' i.e. approaching 40, it is nearly impossible for an up-and-coming actress, such as the Plaintiff, to get work as she is thought to have less of an 'upside' therefore casting directors, producers, directors, agents/managers, etc. do not give her the same opportunities, regardless of her appearance and talent," the complaint states.

The woman says she contacted iMDb about making a change but the service refused to budge. Within Hollywood, iMDb has a well-known reputation for sticking to the ages published on the site.

"Both Defendants are fully aware of the information-gathering, storage, and usage processes and have done nothing to stop the unlawful and wrongful practices," says the complaint.

The plaintiff is suing for breach of contract, fraud, and violation of privacy. She's demanding punitive damages of at least $1 million plus asking for a restraining order against iMDb.

Email: Eriqgardner@yahoo.com

Twitter: @EriqGardner