By M&C People Apr 5, 2008, 5:15 GMT
After the embarrassing transcripts were revealed of a graphic private phone conversation between comedian Chris Rock and PI Anthony Pellicano - now comes the humiliation of being called to court.
Chris Rock - © Lee Roth / RothStock / PR Photos
Chris Rock testified Friday that he hired former private eye Pellicano to investigate a Hungarian model who he had a brief affair with that claimed the comedian was the father of her child.
When DNA tests later proved Rock was not the father, Pellicano remained on the case because the woman, Monika Zsibrita, changed her story and claimed he had raped her during their tryst.
Rock appeared in the courtroom with his hands clasped behind his back and wearing a tailored black suit.
Asked to say and spell his name, Rock was very quiet, prompting U.S. District Court Judge Dale Fischer to say, "Mr. Rock... Project. The back of the room needs to hear you," as she waved her arm out toward the courtroom from the bench.
Compared to star witnesses like Keith Carradine and Garry Shandling, Rock's testimony was only 12 minutes and was not as involved as the others.
His responses to questions from Saunders about Rock's involvement with Zsibrita and her allegations were mostly "yes" or "no."
Rock testified he could not remember how much Pellicano's services cost him back in 1999. He later said on cross-examination by defense attorney Chad Hummel, who represents co-defendant Mark Arneson, a former Los Angeles police sergeant, that he had no prior knowledge of Pellicano and relied on what his lawyers told him about the private eye.
Rock agreed with Hummel that Zsibrita was shaking him down. Asked to explain a shakedown, Rock said, "Someone who was not pregnant with my child claimed to be pregnant with my child and requested large sums of money." He also noted the lack of any police report or actual criminal investigation regarding the fictitious rape charges.
"I'm here as a free man," he said. "I didn't do anything.
"You know I didn't do anything wrong," he said to Hummel.
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