Clint Eastwood Just Scored A Big Personal Win

At 91 years old, Clint Eastwood has been showing up on the silver screen for decades. The Hollywood veteran brings a little bit of his tougher-than-nails personality to each of his roles, whether that means wielding a gun in the Western classic "A Fistful of Dollars," or training Maggie Fitzgerald in the boxing melodrama "Million Dollar Baby." But the actor-director icon proved that he's a formidable foe IRL, too, when he went head-to-head with some CBD retailers who were using his image to market their wares without permission.

The drama went down in July 2020, when Eastwood initially sued multiple companies in two separate lawsuits, claiming they used his likeness without permission to promote CBD products, according to The New York Times. Per the outlet, the brands were behind a defamatory web articles that falsely claimed the "Gran Torino" star was stepping away from the movie biz to hawk CBD. "This was a really, really difficult decision for me," Eastwood said in the fake ad (per the New York Post), which was accompanied by testimonials about the CBD line from fellow Hollywood actors Michael J. Fox, Sam Elliott, and Terry Bradshaw. But, like Eastwood, none of the stars were actually affiliated with the companies. "Mr. Eastwood has no connection of any kind whatsoever to any CBD products and never gave such an interview," the court papers said.

Well, after the "Dirty Harry" star challenged the defendants to "go ahead, make my day," they did just that.

On October 4, The New York Times reported that Clint Eastwood and Garrapata (the company which owns rights to his likeness) won $6.1 million against Mediatonas UAB, the Lithuanian organization "that owns the websites where the false stories appear." Prior to the ruling, Eastwood and Garrapata had "amended the complaint to narrow in on Mediatonas UAB," according to the New York Post. The personal win came after Mediatonas UAB had failed to respond to a court summons (and who wouldn't be intimidated by Dirty Harry coming after them)? Along with the hefty cash payout, Mediatonas UAB was deemed responsible for paying Eastwood's $95,000 in legal fees, and blocked from ever using his face to market their products ever again. 

Understandably, Eastwood was hyped by the ruling, and told the New York Post that the outcome "sends a powerful message to other online scammers who might try to illegally use someone's name and reputation to sell their products." His attorney, Jordan Susman, echoed the sentiment to the outlet. "In pursuing this case, and obtaining this judgment, Mr. Eastwood has again demonstrated a willingness to confront wrongdoing and hold accountable those who try to illegally profit off his name, likeness and goodwill," he said. However, Eastwood did not win his defamation suit, as Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled it "was not libelous on its face," via The New York Times. "It requires additional context to understand what CBD products are and why a person like Clint Eastwood would not endorse a marijuana-based product," he added. Still, this will teach anyone who's "feeling lucky" not to come for Eastwood in the future.