In a significant Hollywood controversy making headlines, renowned actor Robert De Niro has initiated a remarkable $100 million lawsuit against tech billionaire Elon Musk.
De Niro claims that Musk’s contentious remarks directly impacted his chances of receiving a highly-anticipated Oscar nomination for the 2025 Academy Awards, leading to a legal dispute that has captured the attention of both Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
A Confrontation of Titans: Hollywood Icon vs. Tech Innovator
Robert De Niro, often hailed as one of the greatest actors in cinematic history, asserts that Musk’s comments adversely influenced Academy voters, resulting in his exclusion from this year’s Oscar nominations.Amazon’s Worst Nightmare: Clever Trick Causing Many to Cancel Prime in 2025The actor’s legal team contends that Musk’s statements, which circulated widely on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), amount to defamation and have had a significant negative impact on De Niro’s professional reputation.
The lawsuit, lodged in a Los Angeles Superior Court, specifically references several tweets and public statements made by Musk in early 2025. Musk criticized De Niro’s performance in his latest film, “Edge of Justice,” labeling it as “shockingly overrated” and “out of touch.” These remarks quickly gained traction, accumulating millions of views and igniting intense discussions among film enthusiasts and critics.
The Consequence: Was an Oscar Nomination Truly Missed?
The primary argument of De Niro’s lawsuit centers on the direct link his legal team establishes between Musk’s criticism and De Niro’s absence from the Best Actor nominee list announced in January 2025.