Eastwood, Locke Settle Fraud Suit for Undisclosed Sum

Sondra Locke wrested a fistful of dollars Tuesday from former lover and co-star Clint Eastwood, settling a fraud suit against the Academy Award-winning director who she contended sabotaged her career after their 1989 split.

The amount of the monetary settlement was not disclosed.

Locke, 48, said she felt vindicated by what she considers a victory for “the little person.” During the trial, she referred to Eastwood as “the Unfightable One.”

The outcome of her case, Locke said, sends a “loud and clear” message to Hollywood “that people cannot get away with whatever they want to just because they’re powerful.”

The settlement was announced Tuesday morning as jurors were to begin a second day of deliberations in Burbank Superior Court. As they left the courthouse, several jurors said it was clear that the verdict would favor Locke, but that they were undecided about how much money to award her. Some jurors thought she should receive many millions of dollars, while others were leaning toward a figure perhaps lower than $100,000, they said.

“I just hope she got a good deal,” said jury forewoman Brenda Williams. “Hopefully, this will bring some closure and she can move on with her career.”

Peggy Garrity, Locke’s lawyer, said, “This ends the litigation between Sandra Locke and Clint Eastwood, we hope forever.”

Locke told reporters Tuesday that while the settlement means she didn’t “have to worry about working,” she would have been gratified had the jury found in her favor and awarded her only one dollar.

“This was never about money,” she added. “It was about my fighting for my professional rights.”

The case led to a legal landmark, as a state appellate court ruled that the same constitutional guarantees giving the public the right to attend criminal trials apply to civil cases. The decision resulted from appeals by The Times and KNBC-TV Channel 4 of a ruling by Superior Court Judge David M. Schacter to close the courtroom during hearings held outside the jury’s presence.

During the trial, Locke alleged that Eastwood had duped her into dropping her 1989 palimony suit by offering a bogus three-year development deal to direct at Warner Bros. Before the split, she had directed two pictures that were critically praised. But after the deal, she pitched more than 30 projects; Warner Bros. rejected them all.

Locke contended that she later learned why: Her $1.5-million deal was secretly financed by Eastwood, a fact her lover of 14 years failed to disclose. She got the money but said the rejections ruined her career.

Several jurors agreed that testimony by executives from Warner Bros. made it clear that had Eastwood wanted Locke to be treated better, she would have been.

Juror Robert Campbell said Eastwood even showed animosity toward Locke during his testimony, helping to sway jurors toward her side.

“Clint’s blowup on the witness stand had a lot to do with it,” said Campbell, 28, of Burbank. “It was already decided that she had won. It was only a matter of damages.”

Campbell also said Locke showed that she was talented and could have been highly successful.

“Her whole career was ruined, and she needs to be compensated for that,” Campbell said.

Eastwood never wanted to hurt Locke, according to his lawyer, Raymond Fisher, who said the lawsuit stemmed from “a misunderstanding.”

“I think he’s quite content with this settlement because it allows him to go on with his life,” Fisher said.

Locke had testified that Eastwood took advantage of her, pushing her to accept the Warner deal and drop the case while she was undergoing chemotherapy after a double mastectomy.

Eastwood, however, responded that his former lover, motivated by money, had smeared him in the tabloid press and applied a dark spin to acts he had intended as generous.

Eastwood said he was trying to help Locke become financially independent and was acting in her best interests. But jury forewoman Williams said she believed that Eastwood never truly did anything to help Locke’s career.