MADRID – An ad of Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts riding a scooter without helmets for Larry Crowne has landed the film’s Spanish distributor a traffic fine of 30,000 euros ($41,500) for promoting reckless driving.
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“When the fine showed up in the post we thought it was a joke,” an insider at Spanish distributor Tripictures told the Cinemania website. “We didn’t even expect something like this when we distributed the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
It’s not the first case of Spanish traffic authorities making good on a 1985 ban on advertising that encourages poor driving habits and fining celebrities for the image they promote. In August 2010, Shakira got a 400 euro slap on the wrist for showing up in the video for her song Loca, driving through Barcelona on a Harley Davidson motorcycle without a helmet.
