A lawsuit or (much less commonly) "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint. If the plaintiff is successful, judgment will be given in the plaintiff's favor, and a variety of court orders may be issued to enforce a right, award damages, or impose a temporary or permanent injunction to prevent an act or compel an act. A declaratory judgment may be issued to prevent future legal disputes. Although not as common, lawsuit may also refer to a criminal action, criminal proceeding, or criminal claim.

A lawsuit may involve dispute resolution of private law issues between individuals, business entities or non-profit organizations. A lawsuit may also enable the state to be treated as if it were a private party in a civil case, as plaintiff or defendant regarding an injury, or may provide the state with a civil cause of action to enforce certain laws.

The conduct of a lawsuit is called litigation. One who has a tendency to litigate rather than seek non-judicial remedies is called litigious.^[1] The plaintiffs and defendants are called litigants and the attorneys representing them are called litigators.^[2]

Rules of procedure and complications in lawsuits[link]

Rules of criminal or civil procedure govern the conduct of a lawsuit in the common law adversarial system of dispute resolution. Procedural rules are additionally constrained/informed by separate statutory laws, case law, and constitutional provisions that define the rights of the parties to a lawsuit (see especially due process), though the rules will generally reflect this legal context on their face. The details of procedure differ greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and often from court to court within the same jurisdiction. The rules are very important for litigants to know, however, because they dictate the timing and progression of the lawsuit—what may be filed and when, to obtain what result. Failure to comply with the procedural rules may result in serious limitations upon the ability to present claims or defenses at any subsequent trial, or even dismissal of the lawsuit.

Though the majority of lawsuits are settled and never reach trial,^[3] they can be very complicated to litigate. This is particularly true in federal systems, where a federal court may be applying state law (e.g., the Erie doctrine in the United States) or vice versa, or one state applying the law of another, and where it additionally may not be clear which level (or location) of court actually has jurisdiction over the claim or personal jurisdiction over the defendant. For example, about 98 percent of civil cases in the United States federal courts are resolved without a trial. Domestic courts are also often called upon to apply foreign law, or to act upon foreign defendants, over whom they may not, as a practical matter, even have the ability to enforce a judgment if the defendant's assets are outside their reach.

Lawsuits become additionally complicated as more parties become involved (see joinder). Within a "single" lawsuit, there can be any number of claims and defenses (all based on numerous laws) between any number of plaintiffs or defendants, each of whom can bring any number of cross-claims and counterclaims against each other, and even bring additional parties into the suit on either side after it progresses. However, courts typically have some power to sever claims and parties into separate actions if it is more efficient to do so, such as if there is not a sufficient overlap of factual issues between the various associates.

The progress of a lawsuit[link]

The following is a generalized description of how a lawsuit may proceed in a common law jurisdiction:

Pleading[link]

A lawsuit begins when a complaint is filed with the court. This complaint will state that one or more plaintiffs is seeking damages or equitable relief from one or more stated defendants, and will identify the legal and factual bases for doing so. It is important that the "plaintiff selects the proper venue with the proper jurisdiction to bring his lawsuit." The clerk of a court signs or stamps the court seal upon a summons, which is then served by the plaintiff upon the defendant, together with a copy of the complaint. This service notifies the defendants that they are being sued and that they have a specific time limit to file a response. By providing a copy of the complaint, the service also notifies the defendants of the nature of the claims. Once the defendants are served with the summons and complaint, they are subject to a time limit to file an answer stating their defenses to the plaintiff's claims, including any challenges to the court's jurisdiction, and any counterclaims they wish to assert against the plaintiff.

In a handful of jurisdictions (notably, the U.S. state of New York) a lawsuit begins when one or more plaintiffs properly serve a summons and complaint upon the defendant(s). In such jurisdictions, nothing needs to be filed with the court until a dispute develops requiring actual judicial intervention.

If the defendant chooses to file an answer within the time permitted, the answer must address each of the plaintiffs' allegations by admitting the allegation, denying it, or pleading a lack of sufficient information to admit or deny the allegation. Some jurisdictions, like California, still authorize general denials of each and every allegation in the complaint. At the time she or he files an answer, the defendant will also raise all "affirmative" defenses she or he may have. She or he may also assert any counterclaims for damages or equitable relief against the plaintiff, and in the case of "compulsory counterclaims," must do so or risk having the counterclaim barred in any subsequent proceeding. The defendant may also file a "third party complaint" in which she or he seeks to join another party or parties in the action if she or he believes those parties may be liable for some or all of the plaintiff's damages. Filing an answer "joins the cause" and moves the case into the pre-trial phase.

Instead of filing an answer within the time specified in the summons, the defendant can choose to dispute the validity of the complaint by filing a demurrer (in the handful of jurisdictions where that is still allowed) or one or more "pre-answer motions," such as a motion to dismiss. The motion must be filed within the time period specified in the summons for an answer. If all such motions are denied by the trial court, and the defendant loses on all appeals from such denials (if that option is available), then the defendant must file an answer.

Usually the pleadings are drafted by a lawyer, but in many courts persons can file papers and represent themselves, which is called appearing pro se. Many courts have a pro se clerk to assist people without lawyers.

Pretrial discovery[link]

The early stages of the lawsuit may involve initial disclosures of evidence by each party and discovery, which is the structured exchange of evidence and statements between the parties. Discovery is meant to eliminate surprises and clarify what the lawsuit is about, and to make the parties realize they should settle or drop frivolous claims and defenses. At this point the parties may also engage in pretrial motion practice in order to exclude or include particular legal or factual issues before trial.

At the close of discovery, the parties may either pick a jury and then have a trial by jury or the case may proceed as a bench trial heard only by the judge if the parties waive a jury trial or if the right to a jury trial is not guaranteed for their particular claim (such as those under equity in the U.S.) or for any lawsuits within their jurisdiction.

Trial and judgment[link]

At trial, each person presents witnesses and enters evidence into the record, at the close of which the judge or jury renders their decision. Generally speaking, the plaintiff has the burden of proof in making his claims. The defendant may have the burden of proof on other issues, however, such as affirmative defenses.

There are numerous motions that either party can file throughout the lawsuit to terminate it "prematurely"—before submission to the judge or jury for final consideration. These motions attempt to persuade the judge, through legal argument and sometimes accompanying evidence, that because there is no reasonable way that the other party could legally win, there is no sense in continuing with the trial. Motions for summary judgment, for example, can usually be brought before, after, or during the actual presentation of the case. Motions can also be brought after the close of a trial to undo a jury verdict that is contrary to law or against the weight of the evidence, or to convince the judge that she or he should change his decision or grant a new trial.

Also, at any time during this process from the filing of the complaint to the final judgment, the plaintiff may withdraw his or her complaint and end the whole matter, or the defendant may agree to a settlement. If the case settles, the parties might choose to enter into a stipulated judgment with the settlement agreement attached, or the plaintiff may simply file a voluntary dismissal, so that the settlement agreement is never entered into the court record.

Appeal[link]

After a final decision has been made, either party or both may appeal from the judgment if they believe there had been a procedural error made by the trial court. Even the prevailing party may appeal, if, for example, they wanted a larger award than was granted. The appellate court (which may be structured as an intermediate appellate court) and/or a higher court will then affirm the judgment, decline to hear it (which effectively affirms it), reverse, or vacate and remand, which involves sending the lawsuit back to the lower trial court to address an unresolved issue, or possibly for a whole new trial. Some lawsuits go up and down the appeals ladder repeatedly before finally being resolved.

Some jurisdictions, notably the United States, prevent parties from relitigating the facts on appeal due to a history of unscrupulous lawyers deliberately reserving such issues (the "invited error" problem) in order to ambush each other in the appellate courts. The idea is that it is more efficient to force all parties to fully litigate all relevant issues of fact before the trial court. Thus, if a party does not raise an issue of fact at the trial court level, he or she generally cannot raise it upon appeal. Furthermore, appellate courts in such jurisdictions will not question the facts as found by a judge or jury in the trial court as long as there was some evidence in the record to support such findings, even if the appellate judge himself or herself would not have personally believed the underlying evidence if he or she had been present in the trial court when such evidence was entered into the record.

When the lawsuit has finally been resolved, or the allotted time to file an appeal has expired, the matter is res judicata. The plaintiff is precluded from bringing an action resulting from the same claim again. In addition, other parties who later attempt to re-litigate a matter already ruled upon from a previous lawsuit will be estopped from doing so.^[4]

Enforcement[link]

When a final judgment is entered, the plaintiff is usually barred under the doctrine of res judicata from trying to bring the same or similar claim again against that defendant, or from relitigating any of the issues, even under different legal claims or theories. This prevents a new trial of the same case with a different result, or if the plaintiff won, a repeat trial that merely multiplies the judgment against the defendant.

If the judgment is for the plaintiff, then the defendant must comply under penalty of law with the judgment, which will usually be a monetary award. If the defendant fails to pay, the court has various powers to seize any of the defendant's assets located within its jurisdiction, such as:

• Writ of execution
• Bank account garnishment
• Liens
• Wage garnishment

If all assets are located elsewhere, the plaintiff must file another suit in the appropriate court to seek enforcement of the other court's previous judgment. This can be a difficult task when crossing from a court in one state or nation to another, though courts tend to grant each other respect when there is not a clear legal rule to the contrary. A defendant who has no assets in any jurisdiction is said to be "judgment-proof."^[5] The term is generally a colloquialism to describe an impecunious defendant.

Indigent judgment-proof defendants are no longer imprisoned; debtor's prisons have been outlawed by statute, constitutional amendment, or international human rights treaties in the vast majority of common law jurisdictions.

History of the term "lawsuit"[link]

During the 18th and 19th centuries, it was common for lawyers to speak of bringing an "action" at law and a "suit" in equity; an example of that distinction which survives today may be found in the text of the Civil Rights Act of 1871. The fusion of common law and equity in England in the Judicature Acts of 1873 and 1875 led to the collapse of that distinction, so it became possible to speak of a "lawsuit". In the United States, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (1938) abolished the distinction between actions at law and suits in equity in federal practice, in favor of a single form referred to as a "civil action."

In England and Wales the term "claim" is far more common; the person initiating proceedings is called the claimant.

American terminology is slightly different, in that the term "claim" refers only to a particular count (or cause of action) in a lawsuit. Americans also use "claim" to describe a demand filed with an insurer or administrative agency. If the claim is denied, then the claimant (or policyholder or applicant) files a lawsuit with the courts and becomes a plaintiff.

In medieval times, both "action" and "suit" had the approximate meaning of some kind of legal proceeding, but an action terminated when a judgment was rendered, while a suit also included the execution of the judgment.

Financing for Lawsuits[link]

In the United States, plaintiffs and defendants that lack financial resources for litigation or other legal expenses may be able to obtain legal financing. Legal financing companies can provide a cash advance to litigants in return for a share of the ultimate settlement or award. If the case ultimately loses, the litigant does not have to pay any of the money funded back. Legal financing is different from a typical bank loan. The legal financing company does not look at credit history or employment history. Litigants do not have to repay the cash advance with monthly payments, but do have to fill out an application so that the legal financing company can review the merits of the case.

Legal financing can be a practical means for litigants to obtain financing while they wait for a monetary settlement or an award in their personal injury, workers' compensation, or civil rights lawsuit. Oftentimes, plaintiffs who were injured or forced to leave their jobs still have mortgages, rent, medical expenses, or other bills to pay. Other times, litigants may simply need money to pay for the costs of litigation and attorneys' fees. For this reason, many litigants turn to reputable legal financing companies to apply for a cash advance to help pay for bills.

Defendants, civil rights organizations, public interest organizations, and government public officials can set up an account to pay for litigation costs and legal expenses. These legal defense funds can have large membership counts where the members contribute to the fund. Unlike legal financing from legal financing companies, legal defense funds provide a separate account for litigation rather than a one-time cash advancement, though both are used for purposes of financing litigation and legal costs.

See also[link]

Look up lawsuit or actio popularis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Actio popularis
• compensation culture
• divorce lawsuit

• frivolous litigation
• Jonathan Lee Riches
• lawyer
• legal defense fund
• legal financing
• list of environmental lawsuits
• personal injury
• Power (philosophy)
• restorative justice
• revenge
• Thirteenth stroke of the clock
• Tort reform

References[link]

Lindsay Lohan
Lohan at a New York Fashion Week fashion show, September 2011.
Born	(1986-07-02) July 2, 1986 (age 25) New York City, United States
Occupation	Actress, singer, model
Years active	1989–present
Parents	Michael Lohan Dina Lohan
Relatives	Aliana Lohan (sister)
Website
www.lindsaylohan.com

Lindsay Lohan ( /ˈloʊ.ən/;^[1] born July 2, 1986)^[2] is an American actress, recording artist, and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Walt Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11. Lohan gained further fame with leading roles in the films Freaky Friday (2003), Mean Girls (2004), and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005). In 2006 she appeared in independent films including Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion and Emilio Estevez's Bobby. In 2004, Lohan launched a second career as a recording artist with her debut album Speak, which was followed by A Little More Personal (Raw) in 2005.

In 2007, her career was interrupted when two driving under the influence (DUI) incidents and three visits to rehabilitation facilities led to the loss of several movie deals. Resuming her career, she guest starred in the TV series Ugly Betty in 2008, and starred in the TV comedy film Labor Pains in 2009. In 2010, she appeared in Robert Rodriguez's film Machete. She has attracted a great deal of publicity, particularly surrounding her personal life.

Life and career[link]

Early life and education[link]

Lohan was born in New York City and grew up in Merrick and Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island, New York.^[2][3] She is the eldest child of Donata "Dina" (née Sullivan) and Michael Lohan. Lindsay has three younger siblings, all of whom have been models or actors: Michael Jr. (who appeared with Lindsay in The Parent Trap), Aliana "Ali", and Dakota "Cody", the youngest Lohan child. Lohan is of Irish and Italian heritage and was raised as a Catholic.^[4] Her maternal family were "well known Irish Catholic stalwarts" and her great-grandfather, John L. Sullivan, was a co-founder of the Pro-life Party in Long Island.^[5] Lohan attended Cold Spring Harbor High School, where she did well in science and mathematics,^[6] until grade 11, when she started homeschooling.^[7]

Lohan's parents have a turbulent history. They married in 1985, separated when she was three, and later reunited.^[8][9] They separated again in 2005 and finalized their divorce in 2007.^[10][11] Her father, Michael, is a former Wall Street trader who has been in trouble with the law on several occasions,^[8][12] while her mother, Dina, is a former singer and dancer.^[6]

[edit] 1989–2002: Early career and The Parent Trap

Lohan began her career as a child model with Ford Models at the age of three.^[13][14] She modeled for Calvin Klein Kids and Abercrombie kids, and appeared in over 100 television commercials,^[6] including those for Pizza Hut and Wendy's, as well as a Jell-O spot with Bill Cosby. By the age of 10, when Lohan played Alexandra "Alli" Fowler in the series Another World, Soap Opera Magazine said she was already considered a show-business veteran.^[13][14]

Lohan remained in the role for a year, before leaving to star in Disney's 1998 family comedy The Parent Trap, a remake of the 1961 movie. She played dual roles of estranged twins who try to reunite their long-divorced parents, played by Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson.^[4][13] The film earned $92 million worldwide, and critic Kenneth Turan called Lohan "the soul of this film as much as Hayley Mills was of the original", going on to say that "she is more adept than her predecessor at creating two distinct personalities".^[15][16] The film won Lohan a Young Artist Award for best performance in a feature film^[17] as well as a three-film contract with Disney.^[6]

At the age of 14, Lohan played Bette Midler's daughter in the pilot episode of the short-lived series, Bette, but resigned her role when the production moved from New York to Los Angeles.^[4][18] She also starred in two Disney television movies: Life-Size opposite Tyra Banks in 2000, and Get a Clue in 2002.^[13][14]

[edit] 2003–04: Freaky Friday, Mean Girls and Speak

Lohan in 2002

Lohan starred as Anna Coleman alongside Jamie Lee Curtis in the 2003 family comedy Freaky Friday. At Lohan's own initiative, her character was rewritten and changed from a Goth style to be more relatable.^[19] Critic Roger Ebert wrote that Lohan "has that Jodie Foster sort of seriousness and intent focus beneath her teenage persona."^[20] Freaky Friday earned Lohan the award for Breakthrough Performance at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards^[21] and, as of 2010^[update], it remains her most commercially successful film, earning $160 million worldwide^[22] as well as an 88 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.^[23]

Aiming to become a triple threat — actor, singer and dancer, similar to Ann-Margret and Marilyn Monroe — Lohan began showcasing her singing through her acting.^[24] For the Freaky Friday soundtrack, she sang the closing theme, "Ultimate,"^[6] as well as recording four songs for the Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen soundtrack. Producer Emilio Estefan, Jr. signed Lohan to a five-album production deal in 2002.^[6] Two years later, Lohan signed a recording contract with Casablanca Records, headed by Tommy Mottola.^[25]

In 2004, Lohan had two lead roles. The first, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, earned a domestic box office total of $29 million, with Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo commenting that it was "well above expectations as it was strictly for young girls."^[26] The film overall, however, did not meet with critical acclaim.^[27] Robert K. Elder of Metromix wrote that, "though still a promising star, Lohan will have to do a little penance before she's forgiven for Confessions."^[28]

The teen comedy Mean Girls was Lohan's first movie independent of Disney. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $129 million worldwide and, according to Brandon Gray, "cementing her status as the new teen movie queen,"^[26][29][30] while Steve Rhodes wrote that "Lohan dazzles us once more. The smartly written script is a perfect match for her intelligent brand of comedy."^[31] Lohan received four awards at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards for Freaky Friday and Mean Girls, including Breakout Movie Star.^[32] Mean Girls also earned her two awards at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, Best Female Performance and Best On-Screen Team along with several other cast members.^[33]

Lohan, then 17, became the youngest host of the MTV Movie Awards in 2004.^[34] Following Mean Girls, which was scripted by Tina Fey and featured several alumni of Saturday Night Live, Lohan hosted the show three times between 2004 and 2006, as well as hosting the 2006 World Music Awards.^[35]

Speak, Lohan's début album, was released in December 2004, peaking at number four on the Billboard 200^[36] and earning Platinum certification by early 2005.^[6] Lohan cowrote six of the twelve songs on the album. The album was praised by Linda McGee of RTÉ, who awarded it 4 out of 5 stars and commented that "Speak opens with all the raw emotion and teenage angst that you'd expect from an artist of Lohan's age," and that, "while her vocals are not sensational, their gritty edge keeps Lohan more than afloat throughout this album"^[37] as well as comparing the album to the early music of Avril Lavigne.^[37] Allmusic, however, awarded it 2 out of 5 stars and claimed the album "feels more like a byproduct of an overdriven, overamplified celebrity culture than an actual album."^[38] Though primarily a pop album, Speak was introduced with the single "Rumors." Described by Rolling Stone as "a bass-heavy, angry club anthem,"^[39] "Rumors" details Lohan's complaints with the paparazzi^[40] and eventually earned a Gold certification in the United States.^[41]

While shooting Herbie: Fully Loaded in 2004, Lohan was hospitalized with a kidney infection brought on by stress in her personal life and of recording her first album while the film was in production, prompting Vanity Fair to label it Lohan's "first disastrous shoot."^[42] The magazine also described how Lohan terminated the promotional tour and was de-emphasized on the movie poster due to "un-Disney-like behavior."^[42] Lohan began dating actor Wilmer Valderrama in 2004, guest-starring in an episode of That '70s Show, of which Valderrama was a regular.^[43] According to Vanity Fair, the breakup with Valderrama contributed to Lohan's issues during the shooting of Herbie: Fully Loaded.^[42]

With Mean Girls, Lohan's public profile was raised significantly and paparazzi began following her.^[44] She spent several years living out of hotels in Los Angeles, of which two years were spent at Chateau Marmont. In late 2007, after settling down in more permanent residence, she explained that she spent so much time in hotels because she "didn't want to be alone" but that "it wasn't a way of life ... not very consistent."^[45][46][47] Lohan has had a series of car accidents that have been widely reported, with minor crashes in August 2004,^[48] October 2005,^[49] and November 2006, when Lohan suffered minor injuries because a paparazzo who was following her for a photograph hit her car. Police called the crash intentional, but prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges.^[50]

[edit] 2005: Herbie: Fully Loaded and A Little More Personal (Raw)

Herbie, the car that appears with Lohan in Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)

Lohan returned to Disney in 2005 for Herbie: Fully Loaded, the fifth film in the series with the anthropomorphic car Herbie. Fully Loaded earned $144 million worldwide and received mixed reviews.^[51][52] Stephen Holden of The New York Times called Lohan "a genuine star who ... seems completely at home on the screen",^[53] while James Berardinelli wrote that, "as bright a starlet as she may be, Lohan ends up playing second fiddle to the car."^[54] In 2005, Lohan became the first person to have a My Scene celebrity doll released by Mattel. She also voiced herself in the animated direct-to-DVD film My Scene Goes Hollywood, based on the series of dolls.^[55]

Lohan's second album, A Little More Personal (Raw), was released in December 2005, debuting at number 20 on the Billboard 200 chart, falling under the top 100 within six weeks.^[6] Lohan cowrote six of the twelve songs on the album. Slant Magazine called the album "contrived ... for all the so-called weighty subject matter, there's not much meat on these bones."^[56] The album was certified Gold in early 2006.^[57] The music video for the album's first single, "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)", was directed by Lohan and featured the acting debut of her sister, Ali Lohan.^[6] The video was a dramatization of the pain Lohan says her family has suffered at the hands of her father.^[58] It was Lohan's first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 57.^[59]

Lohan's parents legally separated in December 2005 and finalized their divorce in 2007.^[10][11] Lohan spoke in 2007 about her childhood: "I feel like a second parent in the sense that I helped raise my family...I was put between my mother and father a lot. Well, I would put myself between them to try and keep the peace, and I felt good doing that."^[60] Despite the conflicts, Lohan calls herself "a family girl" and has spoken very fondly of her family, including her father.^[61][62] However, in 2007 and again in 2008 she stated that she was no longer in contact with him, describing his unpredictable behavior as hard to deal with.^[63][64][65] In November 2009, her father released recordings of private phone calls with and about Lohan to the media.^[66] She commented on Twitter: "I haven't had a real relationship w/Michael Sr. in years."^[67]

Lohan's next widely released film, the romantic comedy Just My Luck, opened in May 2006 and, according to Variety, earned Lohan over $7 million.^[68] The opening weekend box office takings of $5.7 million "broke lead actress Lindsay Lohan's winning streak" according to Brandon Gray.^[69] The film received poor reviews and earned Lohan her first Golden Raspberry nomination for worst actress.^[70][71]

2006–07: Independent movies and career interruptions[link]

Lohan in 2006

Following Just My Luck, Lohan focused on smaller roles in more mature, independent movies.^[72] Robert Altman's ensemble comedy A Prairie Home Companion, in which Lohan co-stars with Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin, had a limited release in June 2006. Peter Travers wrote for Rolling Stone that "Lohan rises to the occasion, delivering a rock-the-house version of 'Frankie and Johnny'."^[73] Co-star Streep said of Lohan's acting: "She's in command of the art form" and "completely, visibly living in front of the camera."^[74] The Emilio Estevez drama Bobby was released in theaters in November 2006. Lohan received favorable comments for her performance, particularly a scene opposite Sharon Stone.^[75][76] As part of the Bobby ensemble cast, Lohan was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and won an award for Ensemble Acting at the Hollywood Film Festival where she also won a Breakout Award for her work in 2006.^[77][78]

Lohan's next appearance was in Chapter 27 as a John Lennon fan who befriends Mark David Chapman (Jared Leto) on the day he murders Lennon. Filming finished in early 2006, but was not released until March 2008 due to difficulties in finding a distributor.^[79][80][81] In May 2007, the drama Georgia Rule, in which Lohan stars alongside Felicity Huffman and Jane Fonda, was released. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Lohan hits a true note of spiteful princess narcissism."^[82] During filming in 2006, Lohan was hospitalized, her representative saying "she was overheated and dehydrated."^[83] At the time Lohan was going through a breakup with restaurant owner Harry Morton.^[84] This contributed to her problems on the set according to Allure.^[60] In a letter that was made public, studio executive James G. Robinson called Lohan "irresponsible and unprofessional." He mentioned "various late arrivals and absences from the set" and that "we are well aware that your ongoing all night heavy partying is the real reason for your so-called 'exhaustion'."^[85] Co-star Fonda later commented that "when she showed up on the set, she was always great."^[86]

In 2006, Lohan attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.^[87] Lohan, who has suffered from asthma since the age of two, is also a smoker.^[88][89] In early January 2007, production on the film I Know Who Killed Me was put on hold when Lohan underwent appendix surgery.^[90][91][92] Later in the month, Lohan admitted herself to the Wonderland Center rehabilitation facility. Lohan checked out on February 16, 2007 after completing a 30-day stay.^[93][94] During the stay she continued shooting the film, returning to the facility at night.^[95][96] Shortly thereafter, Lohan withdrew from a film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance, her publicist stating that Lohan needed to "focus on getting better."^[97][98] Lohan was replaced in The Edge of Love in April 2007, shortly before filming was to begin, with the director citing "insurance reasons" and Lohan later explaining that she "was going through a really bad time then."^{[99][100][101]} In May 2007, Lohan first dated British TV personality Calum Best.^[102]

Lohan was then cast in the film Poor Things.^[103] On May 26, four days before production was set to start, she was arrested for DUI and subsequently re-entered rehab. The film's producers initially voiced support and production was put on hold.^{[104][105][106]} Lohan had lost control of her car and run the vehicle up a curb. Beverly Hills police also found what they preliminarily identified as a "usable" amount of cocaine in her car. After receiving treatment for minor injuries, Lohan was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.^[107] She subsequently entered the Promises Treatment Center rehabilitation facility, where she stayed for 45 days.^[108][109] Upon her release to outpatient care, Lohan was voluntarily fitted with a SCRAM bracelet to monitor her sobriety.^[110][111]

On July 24, 2007, three weeks before filming was scheduled to resume on Poor Things, Lohan was arrested for a second DUI and again returned to rehabilitation.^[112] Lohan refused a field sobriety test in Santa Monica and was taken to a police station where her blood alcohol level was found to be above the legal limit. While conducting a search, the police found a small amount of cocaine in her pocket.^{[110][111][113]} Lohan was booked on a felony charge of possession of cocaine and misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.^[113][114] In August 2007, Lohan entered Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in Sundance, Utah for a third stint at rehabilitation, staying until discharge on October 5, 2007.^[115] Ultimately, The Hollywood Reporter said, she "fell out of" the Poor Things production.^[116] Later in 2007, Lohan dated then snowboarder Riley Giles, whom she met during rehab.^[117]

In the wake of her second DUI arrest, Lohan withdrew from a scheduled appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in which she had been due to promote I Know Who Killed Me, a low-budget thriller-mystery in which she stars as a stripper with a dual personality.^[118] The film premiered to what Entertainment Weekly called "an abysmal $3.5 million."^[119] It earned Lohan a dual Razzie nomination for Worst Actress, with Lohan coming first and second, tying with herself.^[120]

Hollywood executives and industry insiders commented that it would be difficult for Lohan to find employment until she could prove that she was sober and reliable, citing possible issues with securing insurance.^{[121][122][123]} Robinson, the producer who previously criticized Lohan's work ethic on Georgia Rule, said that he would work with her again if she got the proper medical care, and went on to describe her as "one of the most talented young women in the movie business today."^[119]

On August 23, 2007, Lohan pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cocaine use and driving under the influence and was sentenced to one day imprisonment and 10 days' community service. She was also ordered to pay fines and complete an alcohol education program, and was given three years probation. Lohan released a statement in which she said "it is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs."^[124] On November 15, 2007, Lohan served 84 minutes in jail. A sheriff spokesman cited overcrowding and the nonviolent nature of the crime as reasons for the reduced sentence.^[125] The probation was extended by an additional year in October 2009, following several instances in which Lohan failed to attend the court-ordered substance abuse treatment classes.^[126]

Following a switch to Universal Motown, Lohan began working on a third album, tentatively titled Spirit in the Dark, in late 2007. In May 2008 the single "Bossy" was released, which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.^{[127][128][129][130][131]} In November 2008, Lohan said that work on the album had stalled and that she wanted to avoid the stress of working on movies and music at the same time.^[132]

2008–09: Television appearances and fashion[link]

In May 2008, Lohan made her first screen appearance since I Know Who Killed Me, on ABC's television series Ugly Betty.^[133] She guest starred in four episodes, spanning seasons two and three in 2008, as Kimmie Keegan, an old schoolmate of the protagonist Betty Suarez.^[133] Lohan made a cameo appearance in the drug themed music video for the May 2008 N*E*R*D song "Everyone Nose."^[134] Lohan has featured in various men's magazines. She was voted No.10 on the list of "100 Sexiest Women" by readers of FHM in 2005,^[135] No.13 in 2006, No.30 in 2007, and No.41 in 2008,^[136] while Maxim placed her third on its "Hot 100" list in 2006^[137] and first in 2007.^[138] In a poll by The Daily Mirror in February 2010, Lohan was voted tenth on a list of "sexiest redheads ever."^[139] Lohan has been the face of Jill Stuart, Miu Miu, and Dooney & Bourke, as well as the 2008 Visa Swap British fashion campaign^[140][141] as well as being the face of Italian clothing company Fornarina for its Spring/Summer 2009 campaign.^[140]

Lohan named her clothing collection 6126 after the birthdate of Marilyn Monroe (pictured) whom Lohan greatly admires

Lohan has a long-lasting fascination with Marilyn Monroe going back to when she saw Niagara during The Parent Trap shoot.^[142] In the 2008 Spring Fashion edition of New York magazine, Lohan re-created Monroe's final photo shoot, known as The Last Sitting, including nudity, saying that the photo shoot was "an honor".^[142] The New York Times critic Ginia Bellafante found it disturbing, saying "the pictures ask viewers to engage in a kind of mock necrophilia. ... At 21 [Lohan] seems even older than Monroe, who was 36 in the originals ... [and] the photographs bear none of Monroe's fragility".^[143] In 2008, Lohan launched a clothes line, whose name 6126 was designed to represent Monroe's birth date (June 1, 1926). The line started with leggings, before expanding to a full collection, covering 280 pieces as of April 2010^[update].^{[144][145][146]} In April 2009, Lohan released a self-tanning spray under the brand name Sevin Nyne in collaboration with Sephora.^[147][148] In September 2009, Lohan became an artistic adviser for the French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro;^[149] a collection by designer Estrella Archs with Lohan as adviser was presented in October, receiving a "disastrous" reception, according to Entertainment Weekly and New York.^[150][151] Lohan left the company in March 2010.^[152]

During the 2008 US presidential campaign, Lohan offered her services to Barack Obama's election effort, including hosting events aimed at young voters; but her offer was declined. An unnamed source within the Obama campaign told the Chicago Sun-Times that Lohan was "not exactly the kind of high-profile star who would be a positive for us."^[153] She nonetheless posted MySpace blogs with her opinions on the election, urging voters to support Obama, criticizing media coverage of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and describing Palin as homophobic, anti-abortion and anti-environmentalist.^{[154][155][156][157]} Lohan had previously expressed an interest in going to Iraq, during the Iraq War in 2006, on a USO tour with Hillary Clinton.^[158] Back in 2004, Lohan stated that she did not like to talk about politics in order to avoid alienating any part of her fanbase.^[159]

Lohan dated DJ Samantha Ronson in 2008 and 2009.^[160][161] Lohan co-hosted club events with Ronson and accompanied her when she was DJ-ing.^[162][163] Speaking about her sexual orientation, Lohan has said she is not a lesbian. When asked if she is bisexual, she responded "Maybe. Yeah", adding "I don't want to classify myself."^[160] In April 2009, following her breakup with Ronson, Lohan appeared in a skit on the comedy website Funny or Die. The self-deprecating video is a spoof of the personal ads on dating website eHarmony.^[164] It was viewed 2.7 million times in the first week and received favorable comments from the media.^[165]

In the 2009 comedy Labor Pains, Lohan plays a woman who pretends to be pregnant. During the shoot, Lohan's manager worked with the paparazzi to encourage the media to show her working, as opposed to partying.^[166] It was originally planned for a theatrical release, but instead appeared as a TV movie on the ABC Family cable channel in July 2009, "a setback for the star" according to Variety.^[167][168] The premiere received 2.1 million viewers, "better-than-average" for the channel according to E! Online.^[169] Joanna Weiss of The Boston Globe commented that Lohan "looks to be coasting through a part that requires little effort, anyway".^[170] Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times said "this is not a triumphant return of a prodigal child star. ... [Labor Pains] never shakes free of the heavy baggage Ms. Lohan brings to the role".^[171]

Lohan was a guest judge on US TV style contest Project Runway sixth season premiere episode, which aired in August 2009.^[172][173] The same month Lohan's home was burglarized by The Bling Ring, a group of fashion-motivated burglars whose ringleader considered Lohan to be their ultimate conquest. Video surveillance of the burglary recorded at Lohan's home played a large role in breaking the case.^[174]

[edit] 2010–present: Legal issues, Machete and television

After the Haiti earthquake, Lohan gave fund-raising assistance to the British Red Cross in March 2010 to provide aid for the country.^[175] The same month, Lohan commenced legal proceedings in which she sought $100 million from financial services company E-Trade for a television advertisement that Lohan claimed invoked her likeness without her permission. The suit was settled on confidential terms in September.^{[176][177][178]}

Lohan narrated and presented the BBC Three documentary Lindsay Lohan's Indian Journey about human trafficking in India. The program was filmed during a week in India in December 2009 and aired in April 2010.^{[179][180][181]} A reviewer for The Times said that rather than highlight trafficking "the spotlight was effectively turned on Lohan and under it she wilted."^[182] A review in The Independent found it "very compelling" and said that the inclusion of Lohan was "definitely not a terrible choice. Just a very, very odd one."^[183] Lohan said the experience was "truly humbling" and "I hope my presence in India will bring awareness to the really important issues raised in making this film."^[184]

In May 2010 Lohan travelled to the Cannes Film Festival to promote the biopic Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story, in which she was set to star as the lead, adult-film performer Linda Lovelace.^[185][186] While she was in court mandated rehab in November, it was announced that Lohan would be replaced by another actress.^[187][188] Because she was in Cannes, Lohan missed a mandatory DUI progress hearing. A bench warrant was issued for her arrest which was rescinded after she posted bail. Lohan was ordered to attend alcohol education classes, wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet, and undergo random drug tests to remain free on bail.^[189][190] At a July 6 hearing, the judge determined that Lohan had violated the terms of her probation by missing several mandatory classes and meetings. She was sentenced to 90 days in jail followed by 90 days of mandatory inpatient rehab treatment.^[191][192] Lohan served only 14 days of the jail sentence, between July 20 and August 2, due to overcrowding.^{[193][194][195][196]} She then entered an inpatient rehabilitation facility, from where she was released after only 23 days.^{[195][197][198][199]} Her lawyer stated that "the treating doctors at UCLA felt she had done everything required of her there."^[200] She was ordered to submit to random drug and alcohol screenings and attend mandatory therapy.^[198][199]

In June 2010, Lohan was the subject of a fashion shoot in the photographer docu-series Double Exposure on Bravo.^[201] Lohan appeared on the October 2010 cover of Vanity Fair. She told the magazine: "I want my career back" and "I know that I'm a damn good actress". Talking about her DUI incidents she said "These were my college years ... but they were in the public eye. I was irresponsible. I was experimenting."^{[202][203][204]} Lohan appears in one sketch in the movie Underground Comedy 2010 . She is dressed up as Marilyn Monroe, while still visibly wearing a SCRAM bracelet, and shoots at paparazzi photographers. As of September 2010^[update], the movie was still seeking a distributor.^[204]

Robert Rodriguez's action exploitation film Machete opened on September 3, 2010. Lohan filmed her scenes for the movie in August and September 2009.^[205][206] She plays April, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy businessman. Her character takes drugs, is naked in much of her appearance and later dons a nuns habit while toting a machine gun. The Washington Post described Lohan's character as "a campier, trampier version of herself – or at least her tabloid image".^[207] Premiere.com said she was "terrible" while Variety called it "her best work in some time."^[208][209] Because of her rehabilitation and legal engagements Lohan did not participate in promotion of the movie.^{[210][211][212]}

On September 24, 2010, Lohan's probation was revoked following a failed drug test.^{[213][214][215]} She spent part of the day in jail before being released on bail.^{[215][216][217][218]} A few days later she entered the Betty Ford Center, a drug and alcohol treatment center, where she remained on court order for three months until early January 2011.^{[210][219][219][220][221][222]}

On February 9, 2011, Lohan was charged with the theft of a necklace reported stolen from a jewelry store in January.^{[223][224][225]} She was sentenced to 120 days in jail and 480 hours of community service for misdemeanor theft and probation violation, to which she pled no contest. She was also ordered to remain under supervised probation until the completion of her community service.^{[226][227][228][229][230]} Due to jail overcrowding, Lohan served the sentence under house arrest, wearing a tracking ankle monitor, for 35 days between May 26 and June 29.^{[231][232][233][234][235][236]} In November Lohan was found to have violated the terms of her probation by failing to perform the required community service. She was sentenced to 30 days of jail and 400 hours of community service.^{[237][238][239][240][241]} On November 7 Lohan spent less than five hours in jail due to overcrowding.^[242][243] On March 29, 2012, Lohan's supervised probation ended after she completed the required community service and therapy. She will still be on informal probation for the necklace theft until May 2014, with the only requirement to follow the law.^[244][245]

Lohan appeared in the January/February 2012 issue of Playboy magazine.^[246] Hugh Hefner described the shoot as being inspired by a nude pictorial of Marilyn Monroe which was in first issue of Playboy.^[247] Hefner said in a tweet that the issue was "breaking sales records."^[248] Lohan hosted the March 3, 2012 episode of Saturday Night Live; her fourth time hosting the show. Her previous time hosting the show was in 2006.^[249] Her appearance received mixed to negative reviews. Critics appreciated the self-deprecating references to her personal troubles, but also commented that she largely played a supporting role.^[250] The episode had the second highest ratings of the season with 7.4 million viewers.^[251][252] On May 15, 2012, Lohan appeared on the television series Glee in the episode "Nationals" as a celebrity judge. Critics commented that her appearance was brief, and said that she was "silly in a good way" but also "sort of depressing".^[253]

In April 2012 it was confirmed that Lohan had been cast to play Elizabeth Taylor in a Lifetime TV movie titled Liz and Dick. Filming is planned to begin in June 2012 in Los Angeles.^{[254][255][256]}

Filmography and awards[link]

Discography[link]

• Speak (2004)
• A Little More Personal (Raw) (2005)

References[link]

General

Specific