Jesse Ventura Sues Publisher of 'American Sniper' Book

Jesse Ventura Sues Publisher of ‘American Sniper’ Book

JESSE VENTURA (AFP Photo / Brendan Smialovsky)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is suing the publisher of the book that a federal jury said defamed him.

Ventura was awarded $1.8 million in a lawsuit that alleged “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle made up claims in his book about punching Ventura after he made offensive comments about Navy SEALS at a California bar in 2006. Ventura says it never happened. Both men are former SEALs. Kyle died last year.

The Star Tribune (http://strib.mn/1yV56vO ) reports that Ventura’s new lawsuit against HarperCollins says publicity about Kyle’s claims generated millions of dollars in profits for the New York publisher. The lawsuit seeks $150,000.

The book has been made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood and being released Dec. 25.

HarperCollins executives say their attorneys haven’t seen the lawsuit.