Jim Carrey’s anger as he’s sued over ex’s drug death
JIM Carrey has hit out at the ‘heartless’ lawsuit that claims he caused the suicide of his ex-girlfriend.
The actor, 54, is accused of providing make-up artist Cathriona White with the powerful prescription medication she used to kill herself in September last year – and of ‘controlling and manipulating’ her.
The lawsuit was filed by Miss White’s estranged husband Mark Burton.
But Carrey, who dated Miss White, 30, on and off for three years before her death, has condemned it as an ‘attempt to exploit me and the woman I loved’.
In a strongly-worded statement, he said: ‘What a terrible shame. It would be easy for me to get in a back room with this man’s lawyer and make this go away, but there are some moments in life when you have to stand up and defend your honour against the evil in this world.
‘I will not tolerate this heartless attempt to exploit me or the woman I loved. Cat’s troubles were born long before I met her and sadly her tragic end was beyond anyone’s control.’
The comedian, who split from Miss White a week before her death, added that he hoped ‘people will stop trying to profit from this and let her rest in peace’.
In the wrongful death suit, Mr Burton accuses Carrey of using his ‘immense wealth and celebrity status’ to obtain the drugs that ultimately killed Miss White – despite knowing she was ‘prone to depression and had previously attempted to take her own life’.
A toxicology report found she had prescription medications in her system – none of which had been prescribed to her.
They included beta-blocker propranolol, sleep aid zolpidem and painkillers oxycodone and oxymorphone.
The suit claims Carrey used the name ‘Arthur King’ to illegally get the pills.
According to USA today, it says: ‘Carrey wrongfully and illegally obtained these drugs.
‘The result that followed was predictable and foreseeable.’
The court documents also claim Carrey was obsessed ‘with controlling and manipulating White’. Mr Burton alleges the actor ‘had the ability to monitor surveillance cameras on a home White often stayed at and was able, by design, to view the residence remotely to keep track of White’s comings and goings’.
He also claims Carrey reneged on a promise to pay for Irishborn Miss White’s funeral.