Abigail Breslin has accused her Classified costar Aaron Eckhart of exhibiting “aggressive, demeaning and unprofessional” behavior on set.
Breslin’s allegations were detailed in a breach of contract lawsuit filed against defendant Breslin on Thursday, November 2, and reviewed by Us Weekly, in which the movie’s production company claims that her accusations halted the project’s timeline and set producers back $80,000.
Breslin, 27, privately came forward to the Dream Team Studios with her complaints about Eckhart, 55, earlier this year. Per the lawsuit, the “entire production almost ground to a halt” following her claims.
Breslin accused Eckhart of displaying “aggressive, demeaning, and unprofessional behavior,” insisting that his actions “placed her at various times in peril,” in a letter she sent to the SAG-AFTRA union. She allegedly set “forth her fears and [blasted]” Eckhart’s behavior.
Breslin allegedly would only continue filming so long as she did not have any scenes “alone” with Eckhart. “Costly accommodations had to be made by the production to accommodate Breslin’s demands or else [she] would not continue to perform her contractual obligations,” the court documents read.
The lawsuit also revealed that a producer complied with SAG-AFTRA guidelines for a “safe set” and conducted an investigation. No evidence of any wrongdoing on Eckhart’s part was found, with the docs calling Breslin’s claims “wild, hysterical and imaginary.”
Eckhart has not publicly responded to Breslin’s claims. Us Weekly has reached out to both actors for comment. Breslin’s rep told Rolling Stone in a statement that the Little Miss Sunshine actress is “not aware of any action filed against her” nor has she been “served with any legal notice.”
Her spokesperson added: “Ms. Breslin categorically denies all contended allegations and unequivocally stands by her statement, which she provided confidentially to SAG.”
Classified is an action-packed thriller directed by Roel Reine, following a CIA operative (Eckhart) as he reunites with his long-lost daughter (Breslin), who’s been working as an M16 analyst in the U.K., to debunk a hoax about his death. Tim Roth also stars in the drama, which was written by Bob DeRosa. Principal production was completed in Malta in spring.
Classified wrapped in May and marked the second time that Breslin and Eckhart worked together. They previously costarred in 2007’s No Reservations, opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones, when Breslin was 10 years old. (No Reservations was a rom-com set in the culinary world between rival chefs and, at the same time, Zeta-Jones’ Kate recently got custody of her young niece, Zoe.)
