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Actor Louis Gossett, Jr. says he's the victim of an identity thief -- and that someone forged his signature to get their hands on a pair of $37,000 Lakers tickets.
In an exclusive interview with TMZ, Gossett swats away allegations that he took the tickets and didn't pay for them -- and, by the way, he's had his own Lakers seats since the Magic-and-Kareem era!
Gossett tells TMZ that he recalls being offered the Staples Center Premiere seats, which are good for nearly any sporting event at the arena for two years, but denies ever agreeing to take them -- adding that the signature on the "contract" he signed is a fake. What's more, Gossett says he hasn't been served with the lawsuit from L. A. Arena Funding which accuses him of deadbeating on the Premiere Seats, and that he first learned about the suit through the media.
The Oscar winner adds that he doesn't really give a layup about any other team that plays at Staples, other than the Lakers, whom he considers "family," counting Magic as a "good friend."
A Lakers rep confirms that Gossett has been a Lakers fan in good seating for "twenty years," and that he's fully paid up. A call to lawyers for L.A. Arena wasn't returned.
Reader Comments
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Kind of a boring story, but....Lou kicks ass in the movie "Enemy Mine." A great sci-fi flick if y'all haven't seen it. It's also stars Dennis Quaid and is from the 80's but it's still really good.
Go Lou!
Go Larry!
Go Sanjaya!
oh wait....
lol I *LOVE* the manipulated picture you guys use to express the (TMZ) desired emotion to the reaction of the story. ;-) Nice.
Everybody was so quick bashing him as a freeloader and plain and simple, cause he is black. No excuses now?!? Well, very typical for TMZ readers!
I get sick of people posting "articles" or "stories" without first verifying the facts. It wasn't even him who got the tickets! He has his own dang seats to the Laker's games!!! A quick call to his rep could have verified that fact.
Identity theft is real and very much a part of our society. Everyone should take notice of this story and realize how vulnerable we all are to crooks and thieves.
i love LGjr! he has always been an original, class act. one smart and sexy package and i can't believe that someone would run this story on him w/o confirming facts here. come on TMZ, it wasn't as if you're talking about someone w/the same caliber of greasy bear!!
CHECK YOUR FACTS BEFORE YOU ALL LABEL BY BROTHER, THIS GUY IS A CLASS ACT.
HELLO!!!!! Where are all the posters that bashed him? His kind and his kind's sense of entitlement????? Can't hear you!!!!!
TMZ HAS GOTTEN TO BE SLEAZY......THEY LOOK FOR ANYTHING TO PRINT...DOESN'T MATTER IF THERE IS ANY TRUTH TO IT....THEY STARTED OUT GOOD AND NOW PRINT MORE SLEAZE THAN NEWS NOW.....
GOSSETT IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN A STAND UP GUY...HE'S NOT THE THUGGY SLIME ,THAT HE WOULD DO SUCH A THING...HIS REPUTATION IS THAT OF A REALLY GOOD, HONEST MAN
...IF IT WAS MICHAEL JACKSON....THERE WOULD BE NO DOUBT.....HE'S JUST A DEAD BEAT...BUT GOSSET DOESN'T FIT THE PROFILE ...
HE'S DUE AN APOLOGY FROM TMZ AS WELL AS ALL THE BIG MOUTH SKANKS WHO WERE SO QUICK TO TRASH HIM .......
Must be a slow news day. TMZ likes to make celebrities look like losers. I love Lou and the movie "An Office and A gentlemen" still rocks after all these years.
