In a case of “when it rains it pours,” Ray Wolfe also has landed a distribution deal for his first DVD production just days after his legal victory.
“From last week when I was being sued for $100,000, to this week signing a major Canadian distribution deal, life is great,” Wolfe told XBiz.
Earlier this year, a former model had filed a notice of application for a court hearing against Wolfe and his Extreme Canadian Teens website The model alleged Wolfe gave her alcohol during the shoot and threatened to withhold payment unless she agreed to perform in a hardcore film and that she refused. She said Wolfe finally agreed to use the photos only for his private portfolio.
But the model said she later found her topless photo in a magazine ad for a website and decided to begin litigation, contending that Wolfe used her photo without her consent and that it had caused her significant emotional distress.
Wolfe said the lawsuit couldn’t have come at a worse time because he was in talks with Kaytel about a distribution deal for his first DVD, and the last thing he needed was negative publicity, especially a false allegation that he doesn’t pay his bills.
“A suit like that can really cripple a little guy,” Wolfe told XBiz. “I definitely would have had to cancel my trip to the Bahamas.”
Wolfe considered settling for a lesser amount to make the problem go away but decided to fight the suit as a matter of principle.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I keep records of everything. I had a little trouble finding them at first because I’ve moved a few times since then, but I eventually found them,” Wolfe said.
The model’s case deflated last week when Wolfe produced documents proving she was 20 at the time of the shoot, that she was paid and that she signed a model release. The upshot of the entire episode is that the model ended up owing Wolfe a small sum to buy back the rights to her photos.
“I don’t know why she thought she could sue me; it was like a Hail Mary move,” Wolfe said. He speculates that the woman has come to regret posing topless and was trying to erase any evidence of her past life as a model.
Wolfe told XBiz the episode has a happy ending. He said he has signed a deal with Kaytel Video, Canada’s largest distributor of adult videos, for his first DVD production, “Fresh Faces #1.”
“Alain [Elmaleh, CEO of Kaytel] said he saw potential in us and commented on how beautiful the models were in my first attempt at launching a DVD,” said Wolfe, who got started in adult entertainment “nine years ago with a second-hand camera and a wild girlfriend.”
Wolfe added that his production knowledge has come a long way since then, stating, “I now have advanced to the Sony FX1 high-definition cameras, proper lighting and million-dollar mansions as backdrops for my amateur look.”
“Fresh Faces #1” contains five scenes and two bonus scenes, including two threesomes. Wolfe said that American rights for the video are still available.
In addition to shooting “Fresh Faces #2,” Wolfe also recently launched PimpMyBabes.com and will bring PimpHomeVideos.com online in May.