Cat Zingano suing Halle Berry, claims she was promised role in MMA film “Bruised”
Former UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger and current Bellator MMA competitor, Cat Zingano, has opened up a lawsuit against actress turned director, Halle Berry.
Berry, who is currently making her directorial debut with the mixed martial arts based movie, “Bruised,” is being accused of not coming through on promises which Zingano says ultimately led to her being released from the UFC.
According to the suit and a report from TMZ, Zingano claims “she looped Halle in on her decision not to fight and her subsequent release from the UFC, and says she was shocked and dismayed when Halle told her she could no longer be involved in the movie because she was no longer fighting in the UFC. She claims she was told the movie could only work with UFC fighters.”
Zingano claims she met with Berry in July 2019 to talk about the film and says the actress/director told her she was “perfect for the project.”
Zingano also claims Berry told her to keep her schedule clear because film production was on the horizon, but she says the UFC came calling soon thereafter with a big fight offer.
In the court documents, Zingano claims she talked to Berry about the fight offer and claims she was advised to pass on the fight if she wanted to be in the film, citing liability concerns from the movie’s insurer.
Zingano claims she “agonized over the decision” — the movie versus the big fight — and says she ultimately turned down the fight. She says the UFC then released her from her contract and that Berry has cut off all communication with her camp. She is suing for damages.
Cat Zingano is currently 2-0 in the Bellator MMA and is ranked third in the women’s featherweight division and 8th on the Bellator MMA women’s pound-for-pound list.
