LOS ANGELES—Vivid Entertainment Group said today that it will delay distribution of Shauna Sand Exposed , a sexually explicit video starring the actress, while its lawyers and a handwriting expert counter a "cease and desist" letter sent by Sand's attorney.
Noting that Vivid "has allegedly acquired private footage of Sand engaging in sexual activity and claims to have acquired the rights to sell, use and/or distribute the video," attorney Brooks J. Holcomb warned, "the video is private property and was not created or intended for sale or public distribution."
He threatened a lawsuit if Vivid did not call off its plans to sell the video starting Oct. 19 and demanded that the studio “produce any legitimate, written proof of Vivid’s asserted rights” to distribute it. He said Sand “denies ever signing any release form or waiver of any kind authorizing Vivid to sell, use or distribute the video.”
Steven Hirsch, co-chairman of Vivid-Entertainment, dismissed Holcomb's claims, but said the company would delay distribution of the video, probably for one week, while its lawyers responded to Holcomb and a handwriting expert verifies that the signature on a release form granting rights to the video is demonstrated to be authentic.
"We expected a positive reaction to this movie from both retailers and consumers, but we're pretty overwhelmed by the enthusiasm at this point and we want to release it as soon as possible,” Hirsch said. “I think we'll be able to do so as I still feel confident that all of our papers are in order and we have the right to move ahead with distribution. In an overabundance of caution our lawyers have asked us to delay the release until they have dealt with the claims of Mr. Holcomb and Shauna Sand."
Sand is the former wife of reality television star Lorenzo Lamas and has numerous acting credentials to her credit. The video, which shows her having sex with a boyfriend earlier this year, was obtained by a third party who brought it to Vivid.
Vivid announced earlier that it would release the movie through its Vivid-Celeb imprint, which has also distributed sex tapes starring such personalities as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, Kim Kardashian and Ray J, Jimi Hendrix and others.
