The Beatles merchandise that dragged Tom Hanks into a legal battle: “Outrageous and utterly baseless”
Buying a birthday present for a loved one can be a nightmare, especially if they’re someone with abundant disposable income they can spend throughout the year. Multi-gazillionaire movie icon Tom Hanks would certainly count as one of these financially flush people, so this is probably why his beloved wife, Rita Wilson, had to get creative for his special day in 2008. Unfortunately, in doing her best to think outside the box, Wilson inadvertently dragged her husband into an outrageous legal battle.
It’s never been a secret that Hanks is one of Hollywood’s most prominent Beatles fans. After all, his directorial debut, That Thing You Do!, was heavily inspired by the Fab Four’s rapid ascent to fame in the 1960s. He’s also been quoted as saying the iconic band “made the greatest music of any generation.” So, when Wilson began racking her brain to think of what to get him for the birthday, she quite naturally settled on something Beatles-related.
The object of her affection was a vintage 1962 Beatles poster for which she was quoted $75,000. Wilson was prepared to pay this much even though the auctioneer, Sotheby’s, advised her it was over the odds for the item. After all, she was convinced it would mean a lot to Hanks, and art dealer Melissa Pearl told her that it was in excellent condition. Before parting with such a big sum, though, Wilson asked for a certificate of authenticity from Pearl and a notarised statement that the poster was free of any claims or encumbrances from other buyers.
However, when Pearl claimed she couldn’t get Wilson any of this, the Asteroid City star began to get suspicious. After Wilson’s representative called Pearl, though, things went from suspicious to downright concerning. Wilson claimed Pearl flew into a rage and demanded $75,000 to complete the sale and an extra $300,000 to compensate her for lost time and trouble.
A stunned Wilson obviously refused this ludicrous demand, and in November 2008, she filed a lawsuit against Pearl and Phil Cushway, the poster’s owner. In her suit, she sought a cancellation of the sale due to Pearl’s “outrageous and utterly baseless demand.” In addition, she also wanted Pearl and Cushway to cover the cost of the suit. The ugly legal skirmish wound up running until June 2009 – the month before Hanks’ next birthday – when it was revealed that Wilson had dropped her lawsuit.
“Contention over a rare vintage 1962 Beatles poster has been amicably resolved,” Wilson’s law firm, Lavely & Singer, stated. “Wilson’s complaint and all allegations against Pearl have been completely withdrawn. The action stemmed from certain misunderstandings regarding the conditions of sale of the poster.” The attorneys claimed that Pearl supplied Wilson with a record of sale from Sotheby’s and “other authentication,” but the additional assurances Wilson requested caused a mix-up.
Lavely & Singer quickly added, “Both Wilson and Hanks have been very happy with the artwork Pearl has found for them over the years.” While this may be true, it’s unclear whether their working relationship survived such an unsavoury situation.
Worst of all, though, Hanks never received his vintage poster and presumably had to pretend to be happy with a less prestigious present on his birthday. The poor guy.
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