Arbitrator Clears Jeremy Piven in Contract Claim

After meeting the with an arbitrator to avoid fees associated with breaching his employment contract to appear in a Broadway musical, Jeremy Piven was vindicated from blame and a potentially-costly payout.  The sushi is still at large.

Piven was slated to appear in "Speed-the-Plow" by David Mamet but abruptly left the production two months before it ended, after feeling exhausted from elevated mercury level.  The self-proclaimed sushi lover thinks maybe the uncooked sea-life may be the real culprit.

The arbitration was handled by the Actors' Equity Association after a complaint was filed by the producers of the musical.  Medical evidence, including the actor's three-day hospital stay, were taken into consideration. The arbitrator ruled that Piven was not in breach of his employment contract and also was not in violation of Equity-League collective bargaining contract.  The show's producers were less-than-thrilled with the sushi defense and expressed disappointment with the decision.

Raw humor may be Piven's forte in his edgy roles including Ari Gold in HBO's "Entourage", but it may not be his preferred way to take fish.  

Related Resources:

• Jeremy Piven cleared in Broadway sushi dispute (Reuters)
• Jeremy Piven's sushi defense holds water, arbitrator says (Los Angeles Times)
• Piven 'didn't breach play contract' (Press Association)
• Jeremy Piven wins with arbitrator but loses with awards voters (Los Angeles Times)
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Overview (provided by John Peter Lee Ltd.)