Actress in anti-Muslim film sues for its removal

LOS ANGELES (AP) - An actress who appears in the anti-Muslim film trailer that has sparked riots in the Middle East is suing the film-maker for fraud and slander, and is asking a judge to order YouTube to take down the clip.

Ms Cindy Lee Garcia's lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles claims the actress was duped by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the man behind Innocence Of Muslims who has been forced into hiding since its 14-minute trailer rose to prominence last week. She was unaware of the film's anti-Muslim content and said that the pages of the script she received had no mention of the prophet Muhammad, religion or sexual content, according to her complaint.

The lawsuit states Ms Garcia responded to an ad and thought she was appearing in an ancient Egyptian adventure film called Desert Warriors. Dialogue in the amateurish film was later dubbed to include anti-Islamic messages and to portray Muhammad as a fraud, a womaniser and a child molester, and it was also translated into Arabic.

"The film is vile and reprehensible," Ms Garcia's attorney, M. Cris Armenta, wrote in the document. Her client has received death threats since the film's trailer began drawing attention, and she is no longer able to care for her grandchildren, the lawsuit states.