Dita Von Teese Suing Insurance Company Over Canceled Performance

Dita von Teese is suing an insurance company for negligence after they allegedly refused to cover the costs of a New York performance that was cancelled due to Superstorm Sandy last year.

The 41-year-old was scheduled to perform at Manhattan’s Gramercy Theater for her Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray show on October 30, 2012, but the performance was cancelled after heavy rain and strong winds caused a city-wide power cut.

Von Teese, whose real name is Heather Sweet, said she had to pay almost $97,000, plus interest, out of her own pocket to provide accommodations for her cast and crew, as well as cover their expenses. According to Contact Music, when she tried to claim money from the insurance company, Los Angeles-based Momentous Insurance Brokerage of Van Nuys, they refused to reimburse her and said the policy for non-appearance cancellation coverage only applied to events missed due to accident, illness, or death. The policy did not cover natural disasters or “acts of God.”

Dita Von Teese alleged that Momentous and broke Connie Woodson failed to explain the “absolute need” for her to obtain additional insurance coverage for the storm conditions ahead of the performance. She accused them of breach of fiduciary duty, breach of oral contract, misrepresentation, and negligence. She is suing for damages, loss of merchandise revenue and costs.

Earlier this year, rumors surfaced that Dita Von Teese and Russell Crowe were dating. The pair had been seen receiving a couple’s massage together at the Four Seasons in New York last December, and Crowe had retweeted some of the burlesque dancer’s posts. Crowe eventually shut down the rumors and said they were just friends.

“DitaVonTeese is brave, smart, sweet, and elegant,” he wrote on Twitter. “She is a friend of mine. Who wouldn’t want friends like that? Friends, not lovers.”

[Photo credit: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com]