Two Readers Start Class-Action Suit Against Lance Armstrong Calling His Books ‘Works Of Fiction’, Highlight Hollywood News
Everyone knew that after Lance Armstrong so famously and arrogantly went after those people on his cycling team and any professional journalist who dared to tell, what now is widely known as the truth of his cheating and doping to win the Tour de France titles, that he would eventually face an onslaught of lawsuits. Well, on Wednesday, THR reports that Rob Stutzman and Jonathan Wheeler have filed a class-action lawsuit against the disgraced cyclist on the heels of his admission to Oprah Winfrey that he took — and lied about taking — banned substances.
Stutzman, a political consultant in Sacramento, and Wheeler, a professional chef, filed the suit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in California against Armstrong and his publishers. They are seeking refunds of two books — 2000′s It’s Not About the Bike and the 2003 follow-up, Every Second Counts — as well as other costs.
According to the filing, they and other readers “would not have purchased the books had they known the true facts concerning Armstrong’s misconduct and his admitted involvement in a sports doping scandal.”
In the books, Armstrong denied he had doped to win the Tour de France. “Stutzman bought the book in California and read it cover to cover,” according to the lawsuit. “Although Stutzman does not buy or read many books, he found Armstrong’s book incredibly compelling and recommended the book to several friends.”
The suit adds: “Defendants knew or should have known these books were works of fiction.”
In a two-part interview with Winfrey that aired on OWN last week, Armstrong admitted that he used EPO, testosterone and human growth hormone as well as blood doping or blood transfusions to enhance his performance in all seven of his Tour de France victories. The admission came after years of denials and after Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and an Olympics bronze medal.
After part one of the interview aired, investigators told ABC News that they believe Armstrong might have lied about when he stopped doping, saying his statements were inconsistent with blood tests.
The story was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Written By: Tommy Lightfoot Garrett
Photographs are Courtesy: AP
Follow us on Twitter @HighlightHwd or @LightfootinHwd
The man is the worst kind of scum, to have done what he did, CONTINUOUSLY, and then tried to discredit his friends and teammmates..He is truly VILE.