Attorney Michael Avenatti filed a lien claim Thursday against his former client, adult film actress Stormy Daniels, seeking more than $2 million “for legal services rendered and costs and expenses advanced.”
The hot-headed lawyer known for direct messaging his critics on Twitter then promptly blocking them filed the lien in Columbus, Ohio federal court six days after Daniels reached a $450,000 settlement with the city over her arrest at a strip club where she was performing last year. Daniels had claimed that officers conspired to retaliate against her over her claims that she had sex with Donald Trump in 2006, long before he became president. She was arrested on suspicion of inappropriately touching an undercover officer following a performance at Sirens in July 2018, but the city attorney’s office dropped charges within hours.
Thursday’s filing argues that Avenatti should get first crack at the Columbus settlement money, saying: “no net settlement proceeds or fees are to be distributed to Ms. Daniels or any of her attorneys without the express, written agreement of Mr. Avenatti and/or a full adjudication of this lien pursuant to California law.”
Avenatti also claims that Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has not paid him any money for his services to her apart from what the lien described as “a $100.00 [not a typo] up-front payment.”
“Despite repeated demands that Ms. Daniels fulfill her contractual obligations and pay for the millions of dollars in legal fees and costs she has enjoyed for her benefit over the last approximate 19 months … she has refused,” the lien continues. “Instead, Ms. Daniels maintains that because she is a ‘celebrity,’ she is entitled to free legal services and costs, and when confronted with her repeated failure to pay, she believes that she is entitled to manufacture and fabricate facts designed to impugn the reputation of her counsel and falsely accuse him of a multitude of acts. – READ MORE