By Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times
Ojani Noa, former husband number one of Latina superstar Jennifer Lopez, has filed for bankruptcy.
Noa says the legal battle against Lopez has left him broke, busted and depressed.
"I can't go to work because anytime I go to a casting, people are afraid to hire me because of the judgment on my head. [They are] skeptical [because] of what I'm going through," he told the New York Post's Page Six.
"The lawsuit put me through so much pain and frustration. I'm losing everything," said Noa, who hoped that, by declaring bankruptcy, he could sell the tapes, along with his car and personal belongings, at a public auction.
But Lopez's lawyer, John Lavely says the tapes can't be sold: "Both the preliminary injunction and the permanent injunction are still in full force and effect. Offering for sale or selling the videotape would constitute a willful violation."
Lopez filed a $10 million suit against Noa in November 2009 obtaining a court order barring her ex-husband from using home videos -- including footage from their honeymoon -- for a movie he was producing on his life. The tapes in Noa's possession do not contain any sexual or graphic images of Lopez, so the ex-hubby claims.
The tapes Noa and his attorney are speaking of allegedly show Lopez engaged in "racy" behavior playfully kissing another woman and performing a lap dance, according to Noa and his business partner, Ed Meyer.
Noa ran into opposition from his beautiful ex-wife on a previous occasion in 2007 when he attempted to publish a tell-all book.
The book and allegations made by Noa violated a settlement in a separate lawsuit in which Noa agreed not to disparage La Lopez or to attempt to profit by disclosing details about Lopez's private life.
"The book proposal clearly contains material that violates the terms referenced [in] ... the settlement agreement," the seven- page decision read
A court-appointed arbitrator recommended that Lopez be awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages for breach of the couple's settlement agreement; nearly $300,000 in attorneys' fees and almost $48,000 in arbitration costs.
Noa planned to title the book, "The Unknown Truth: A Passionate Portrait of a Serial Thriller."
Unlike the book, Noa says the biopic he's planning to film is a love story about him, in Miami, but he says the flick is on hold after potential investors backed away from the project as litigation between he and Lopez progressed saying, "let's back up and see how this situation gets resolved."
Noa claims he does not need the tapes in question in order to film the movie, but the sale of said tapes would be the answer to his money woes.
The movie deal isn't the only area Noa's legal troubles with Lopez are hitting him hard. The cocinero says he recently lost a role on the hit reality TV show “Jersey Shore” because producers feared legal troubles if they hired him.
Business partner Meyer told WENN, "One of the executive producers of Jersey Shore told him, 'Ojani, we're doing Miami and you're big in Miami but I can't put you on the show because I'll get sued by Jennifer Lopez.' They thought he'd be perfect for a walk-on role," said Myer.
Noa appeared on a "Survivor" show in Spain and was even invited back for a second season, but was allegedly told at the last minute, "No, we can't do it because we've spoken to Jennifer Lopez's lawyers and, sorry, we can't take the risk."
Word is Noa is living off of handouts from family in order to survive.
Noa, who was married to Lopez from February 1997 until January 1998, is a Cuban immigrant who met Senora Lopez while he was a waiter. The talented jefe de cocina later became Head Chef at J. Lo's restaurant, Madre's only to be fired four months after their split.
The Black Urban Times
Ojani Noa, former husband number one of Latina superstar Jennifer Lopez, has filed for bankruptcy.
Noa says the legal battle against Lopez has left him broke, busted and depressed.
"I can't go to work because anytime I go to a casting, people are afraid to hire me because of the judgment on my head. [They are] skeptical [because] of what I'm going through," he told the New York Post's Page Six.
"The lawsuit put me through so much pain and frustration. I'm losing everything," said Noa, who hoped that, by declaring bankruptcy, he could sell the tapes, along with his car and personal belongings, at a public auction.
But Lopez's lawyer, John Lavely says the tapes can't be sold: "Both the preliminary injunction and the permanent injunction are still in full force and effect. Offering for sale or selling the videotape would constitute a willful violation."
Lopez filed a $10 million suit against Noa in November 2009 obtaining a court order barring her ex-husband from using home videos -- including footage from their honeymoon -- for a movie he was producing on his life. The tapes in Noa's possession do not contain any sexual or graphic images of Lopez, so the ex-hubby claims.
The tapes Noa and his attorney are speaking of allegedly show Lopez engaged in "racy" behavior playfully kissing another woman and performing a lap dance, according to Noa and his business partner, Ed Meyer.
Noa ran into opposition from his beautiful ex-wife on a previous occasion in 2007 when he attempted to publish a tell-all book.
The book and allegations made by Noa violated a settlement in a separate lawsuit in which Noa agreed not to disparage La Lopez or to attempt to profit by disclosing details about Lopez's private life.
"The book proposal clearly contains material that violates the terms referenced [in] ... the settlement agreement," the seven- page decision read
A court-appointed arbitrator recommended that Lopez be awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages for breach of the couple's settlement agreement; nearly $300,000 in attorneys' fees and almost $48,000 in arbitration costs.
Noa planned to title the book, "The Unknown Truth: A Passionate Portrait of a Serial Thriller."
Unlike the book, Noa says the biopic he's planning to film is a love story about him, in Miami, but he says the flick is on hold after potential investors backed away from the project as litigation between he and Lopez progressed saying, "let's back up and see how this situation gets resolved."
Noa claims he does not need the tapes in question in order to film the movie, but the sale of said tapes would be the answer to his money woes.
The movie deal isn't the only area Noa's legal troubles with Lopez are hitting him hard. The cocinero says he recently lost a role on the hit reality TV show “Jersey Shore” because producers feared legal troubles if they hired him.
Business partner Meyer told WENN, "One of the executive producers of Jersey Shore told him, 'Ojani, we're doing Miami and you're big in Miami but I can't put you on the show because I'll get sued by Jennifer Lopez.' They thought he'd be perfect for a walk-on role," said Myer.
Noa appeared on a "Survivor" show in Spain and was even invited back for a second season, but was allegedly told at the last minute, "No, we can't do it because we've spoken to Jennifer Lopez's lawyers and, sorry, we can't take the risk."
Word is Noa is living off of handouts from family in order to survive.
Noa, who was married to Lopez from February 1997 until January 1998, is a Cuban immigrant who met Senora Lopez while he was a waiter. The talented jefe de cocina later became Head Chef at J. Lo's restaurant, Madre's only to be fired four months after their split.
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