Scarlett Johansson Files Lawsuit Over Fictional Doppelganger In French Novel

Scarlett Johansson has filed a lawsuit against the French publisher JC Lattes for using her likeness in the book The First Thing We Look At.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the book features a character who is a doppelganger for Scarlett Johansson. Other characters in the book believe that the doppelganger is the Avengers actress until it is later revealed that her real name is Jeanine Foucaprez.

Author Gregoire Delacourt defended his book saying that his novel is a work of fiction that deals with modern fantasies.

Delacourt said: “This corresponds with the fantasies of our times. All these famous people live with us … But I wrote a book of fiction. My character is not Scarlett Johansson, it is Jeanine Foucaprez!”

Delacourt also notes that there are two other characters in the novel who are compared to Ryan Gosling and Gene Hackman. The author said that he can paint an immediate picture for the reader by comparing the character to a famous face. So far, Gosling and Hackman have not filed lawsuits.

The author said that he chose Johansson because his book is about “true beauty of women,” and that the actress was the “epitome of beauty today.”

Johansson, however, believes that Delacourt is an opportunist who is exploiting her likeness for monetary gain. The actress is seeking compensation for the “breach and fraudulent use of personal rights.” She also hopes to ban the future adaptations of the book.

What do you think about Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit? Is the actress being over-sensitive about the French novel? Should real people be kept out of works of fiction?

[Image Via cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com]