Producer Sues Ryan O’Neal, Others Over Farrah Fawcett’s Upcoming Cancer Documentary

Craig Nevius, a longtime friend of Farrah Fawcett, has filed suit against Ryan O’Neal, Alana Stewart and Richard B. Francis in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, over the documentary, “Farrah’s Story,” which is set to air on NBC on Friday May 15.

According to the lawsuit obtained by Access Hollywood, Nevius claims that the three have “willfully” abused “their positions of trust” with the actress “to assert rights and privilidges that they do not have.”

Nevius claims in his suit that he made a deal with the cancer-stricken actress in 2004, for the “reality television series” “Chasing Farrah,” which was his “creative concept.” Nevius claims that the series led the actress to trust “him with many of her personal and sensitive matters,” and led him to become a “trusted” friend.

Nevius claims that in April 2008, Fawcett wanted to create a television documentary based on her home movies and on April 1, 2008, and the two created Sweetened By Risk LLC, a company for this purpose, which he co-owns and co-manages, according to the suit. He claims that as part of an agreement the two made for the company, he was given the right to “assume Ms. Fawcett’s role as Manager of the LLC if… Fawcett becomes too ill to function… [or] is otherwise unavailable due to failing health.”

In September 2008, however, the friend and filmmaker claims O’Neal asked him to “relinquish control of SBR” and the documentary they were working on to someone the actor wanted to make it instead. “When Nevius respectfully declined, O’Neal physically threatened him,” the suit reads.

Nevius claims Fawcett’s condition “grew worse, such that she was unavailable and unable to function and/or communicate her instructions and/or her decisions for a long period of time.”

A month later, Nevius claims Stewart said Fawcett “was not doing well,” and “demanded her pay be doubled and she be given a ‘producer credit’ or she would not deliver video footage… that she had shot” for the documentary.

Nevius claims that Francis asked third parties, including NBC, not to pay SBR’s invoices and that Francis and O’Neal claimed to managed SBR in April 2009 to various third parties.

That same month, Nevius claims “Francis made additional threats of violence against Nevius.” He further asserts that Francis would not allow him “to see or talk to Ms. Fawcett, to check on her health and see if her needs were being met,” during April and May 2009.

He is suing for unspecified damages.

On Thursday, Nevius released a statement to Access Hollywood saying, “The lawsuit speaks for itself.”

“I can only add that my intent today is the same as it has been since I first started working with Farrah in 2004: to execute her artistic vision in projects that are a reflection of her while at the same time maintaining and protecting her personal privacy to the extent of her expressed wishes and desires,” his statement concluded.

And on Thursday afternoon, Paul Bloch, a rep for Fawcett, O’Neal and Stewart said he was saddened over the suit.

“I am shocked by this type of behavior. Here’s a woman who everyone knows has been ill and to do something like this is horrific.” Bloch told Access in a statement. “This has been a very difficult time for Ryan O’Neal. When you see something like this you have to question the motives of someone who can be so hurtful during this very sensitive time in a person’s life. We hope and we pray that Farrah Fawcett does not learn about this lawsuit because it would impact her health.”

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