As the world remembers Nelson Mandela on what would have been his 96th birthday, actor Leonardo DiCaprio is attempting to get back a photo that he took with the late former South African president.
The drama started in 2006 when DiCaprio filmed Blood Diamond in South Africa. He took a photo with Mandela, but never received it, until it later mysteriously was obtained by memorabilia and autographs dealer, Moments in Time. They inturn, place the picture on sale for $25,000 this week.
While Moments in Time claim they have the rights to the photo, a representative for DiCaprio released a statement saying, “The photo is clearly not their property. He wants the picture. His lawyers are considering action.”
After receiving a letter from Hollywood attorney Steve Warren, Moments in Time’s Gary Zimet responded, “They think by trying to intimidate me that they can get the picture for free. The provenance is ironclad. Leo is welcome to buy it.”
Everybody's got a hustle.