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'Hangover' Actor Mike Epps Served with Lawsuit on Comedy Stage

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on May 13, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Served with a lawsuit, actor and comedian Mike Epps, best known for his role in The Hangover, threw a hissy fit in front of a Texas audience earlier this week.

And there's some pretty explicit video to boot.

Mike Epps was in the middle of his comedy routine at the Verizon Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas when a process server neared the stage and tossed papers at him. Obviously knowing what it was, he then began yelling obscenities at the woman, working the event into his act.

The papers were notification of a $1 million lawsuit filed against Mike Epps for a November 2010 incident in Detroit, reports The Detroit News. He allegedly attacked a cameraman from a local TV station outside of a nightclub.

And then he stole the guy's camera.

If you're wondering why the process server served Mike Epps during his show, it has to do with the rules surrounding notification of a lawsuit.

Every state has slightly different requirements, but in order to kick off a lawsuit, a plaintiff must properly notify a defendant that he has filed a complaint. This notification mechanism is known as "service of process."

Many states require that a plaintiff attempt personal service if it is possible to physically locate the defendant. This means in-hand delivery to the defendant or his designated agent.

With this in mind, it makes sense that process server in question chose to serve Mike Epps during his performance. He had no choice but to accept the papers.

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