The male movie extra suing Mia Goth for allegedly intentionally kicking him in the face asked a judge for help getting the actress to show up for a deposition, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
On Tuesday, January 6, James Hunter filed court docs demanding that Goth, 32, provide available dates for her to be deposed as part of his lawsuit.
Hunter, who claimed Goth committed battery on the set of 2024’s horror film MaXXXine, said he was deposed on September 19, 2024. He claimed it was “contentious,” and after several hours of questioning, the defendant’s lawyer “abruptly announced a suspension of the deposition and walked out without [Hunter’s] consent or a court order.”
In his filing, Hunter said the defendants, which also include the film’s director, Ti West, and the studio A24, did not schedule a follow-up for his deposition for months. He said he should not be forced to sit for a second deposition until Goth appears for her deposition.
Hunter’s filing argued, “Ms. Goth’s testimony is expected to be highly relevant, and delaying her deposition while re-focusing on [Hunter] could prejudice [Hunter’s] ability to fully develop his claims and defenses.”
He continued, “Defendants’ inaction and Ms. Goth’s continued unavailability for deposition create an uneven playing field that the Court can correct by ordering her deposition to proceed first.”
Hunter also asked that when he does sit for a second deposition that it be conducted remotely. He claimed the first session took a toll on him and caused him to experience “significant health issues triggered by the stress: including migraine headaches, panic attacks, and episodes of severe anxiety.”
Mia Goth Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The legal drama between Hunter and Goth started in January 2024, when Hunter filed his lawsuit. In the suit, he explained he worked as a background extra as a “dead parishioner” in MaXXXine. Hunter, who had his body covered in fake blood, was asked to lie on the ground while Goth ran past him. He said he had to deal with ants and mosquitoes during the shoot.
Hunter alleged that after a couple of takes, he said he informed the assistant director that Goth was getting close to stepping on his head. He claimed Goth was told about the issue.
The suit alleged, “In spite of the warning, and in the following take, Goth intentionally and willfully assaulted [Hunter] by kicking [Hunter] on the side of his head with her boot.” Hunter’s attorney said Goth did this “to punish [Hunter] and to retaliate against [Hunter] for [Hunter] reporting to the 2nd assistant director … that Goth had run perilously close to [Hunter] in a previous take.”
Hunter claimed Goth invaded his privacy in a bathroom and “laughed at, taunted, mocked and belittled” him and “dared” him to “do anything about it.”
“Goth’s conduct was outrageous and calculated to cause, and did cause, [Hunter] injury and severe emotional distress,” the suit alleged. “Goth did cause harmful, offensive, and violent physical contact with [Hunter].”
Hunter demanded damages of over $500,000 for alleged battery and wrongful termination. Goth and the other defendants denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The actress argued that Hunter had consented to and approved of all the acts that he now complains about in his suit.
Goth also argued that if Hunter did sustain injuries, which she denies, the injuries were caused or partly caused by Hunter’s own actions or the actions of third parties. Goth demanded that all claims be dismissed and that the extra be forced to pay her legal bills related to the case.
MaXXXine, which is part of West’s horror trilogy, alongside the 2022 films X and Pearl, earned over $22 million on a budget of less than $10 million. Goth followed up MaXXXine with 2025’s Frankenstein, for which she received rave reviews.
The actress will appear next in Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming The Odyssey.
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