Art Dealer Mary Boone Strikes Back at Alec Baldwin With New Lawsuit
- October 28, 2016 11:34
New York art dealer Mary Boone has filed a lawsuit against actor Alec Baldwin in response to his legal filing over the sale of a $190,000 Ross Bleckner painting.
Baldwin had sued Boone and her gallery for fraud last month over "Sea and Mirror," claiming she sold him a later version of the 1996 painting that he really wanted. He claimed the gallery stamped the inventory number for the 1996 work on his newer Bleckner painting in 2010. Baldwin said he thought the newer version was too bright and not as valuable as the 1996 version.
Boone's lawyers denied the claim, saying the dealer had offered to refund the actor, adding she had no interest in misleading clients.
On Thursday in New York Supreme Court, Boone filed a case alleging Baldwin committed tax fraud by having the artwork shipped to California and then immediately sending it back to New York to avoid city and state taxes. “Baldwin’s fraud saved him $16,625 in sales tax,” according to the filing. “He cannot at the same time commit a fraud of his own and ask the Court to exercise its discretion to award him punitive damages.”
Boone's lawyers also argued that Baldwin's case should be dismissed over statute of limitations for fraud, and other reasons.
Read more at Wall Street Journal