IMDb Strikes Back at Actress Suing Over Age Disclosure

The Internet Movie Database is fighting back against the anonymous actress who sued the service last month for revealing her age, The Hollywood Reporter trade industry journal is reporting.

Amazon.com, which owns iMDb, told a Washington federal court that before the actress filed the lawsuit, she tried to get the service to post a false birthdate so she could fool potential Hollywood employers into thinking she was younger than she actually is. The company is asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit so as to not perpetuate a fraud on the public, THR reported.

When the anonymous Texas woman sued last month it ignited a debate about ageism in Hollywood.

The iMDb serviced is a compilation of information about films, television shows and those who work in the industry. It’s used as a reference for media, fans, and more and more by those in the industry who want to check out potential hires, according to an entertainment piece on the growing problem in the L.A. Daily News on Sunday.

“With actors’ real ages virtually at their fingertips on the increasingly relied-on IMDb, casting directors and their bosses, producers and directors have grown ever more reluctant to even audition performers whose ages aren’t within a few years of the desired age for the role,” the Daily News article states.

In its motion to dismiss filed last week and obtained by THR, the company questions whether the judicial system should be used to help an actress hide her 40 years of age.