Brad Pitt Denies Wrongdoing in Legal Battle Over Faulty New Orleans Homes

Brad Pitt is demanding a class action lawsuit filed against him and his charity over the homes built following Hurricane Katrina be tossed out, and claims it was not his responsibility to make sure the homes were properly built.

On November 20, the actor filed court documents in Louisiana in the lawsuit brought against him and his Make It Right Foundation.

Pitt says Make It Right was founded, “with the mission of building high-performance, sustainably-designed homes to be sold at affordable prices to residents of the Lower Ninth Ward, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.”

The star says he had no duty personally to the homeowners and did not breach any deal with them. Translation: "I'm an actor, not a construction worker."

Pitt points out that the plaintiffs have previously praised him for leading the charge on building the homes, and specifically mentioned "that they are extremely grateful to Mr. Pitt for his efforts in helping to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward."

The court docs state, “Mr. Pitt cannot simply be lumped together with other defendants and held liable for alleged conduct in which he is not even alleged to have participated.”

The actor's lawyers argue that the “Petition contains no allegations that Mr. Pitt committed any act or omission, other than in his capacity as a Director, which allegedly caused plaintiffs emotional distress, much less a physical injury.”

Pitt is demanding he be dismissed entirely out of the case. He is not requesting that Make It Right be let off the hook, but only wants himself personally dismissed.

Make it Right Foundation was founded by Pitt to help residents move back to the Lower Ninth Ward following Hurricane Katrina. The charity helped build affordable homes and sold them to residents whose homes were destroyed.

Earlier this year, two New Orleans residents filed a class action lawsuit against the actor and his Make it Right Foundation accusing the charity of selling them, “defectively and improperly constructed homes”

The class action suit accused the foundation of knowing of multiple issues with the building materials used, but not informing the buyers.

The residents claimed the homes were rife with issues, including mold, plumbing, air quality, rotten wood, structural problems and ventilation issues.

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