Update, Sunday, January 15 at 11:32 a.m.: Michael Bay really, really doesn’t want you to think there’s any chance he could have killed a pigeon in 2018. He’s even hired Mathew Rosengart, the high-profile attorney who helped free Britney Spears, to defend his reputation. The Wrap reported earlier this week that Bay was facing charges related to a pigeon that was allegedly killed by a dolly during production on 6 Underground in Italy, with Bay held responsible as the director. In a letter obtained by Variety, Rosengart slammed The Wrap’s piece as “false, reckless, and defamatory.†Basically, there is an ongoing court case, but Bay doesn’t want anyone to think that he’s being accused of personally ending a bird’s life. “The only ‘charge’ at issue in Italy concerns whether, in his capacity as the film’s director, Mr. Bay failed to properly supervise crew members (whom he did not even have the ability to hire) responsible for handling the animals on set,†Rosengart wrote in part. “That charge is being vigorously defended.†The Wrap has updated its story with a similar clarification from Bay’s Italian lawyer, and also added a sentence noting that “it’s not entirely clear†if a pigeon actually died on the set.
Original story published January 13, 2023 follows.
Michael Bay is determined to prove that he doesn’t have any bird blood on his hands. Per the Wrap, the director has been charged over claims that a pigeon was killed in 2018 on the set of his movie 6 Underground. (Wild birds, including pigeons, are protected by law in Italy.) Allegedly, a homing pigeon was killed by a dolly while the Netflix production was filming in Rome. A witness is said to have taken a picture and reported the incident to authorities. “I am a well-known animal lover and major animal activist,†Bay said in a statement denying the allegations. “No animal involved in the production was injured or harmed. Or on any other production I’ve worked on in the past 30 years.†He also claimed that he has “clear video evidence,†multiple witnesses, and safety officers that disprove the allegations, adding that he is confident he will win in court. Still, his legal team has reportedly failed three different times in the past year to get the ongoing case against him dismissed. The millionaire said Italian authorities offered him the opportunity to settle by paying a small fine. “I declined to do so because I would not plead guilty to having harmed an animal,†he said. We suppose all that’s left to do is sort this out in coo-urt.