Actor Peter Dante has been sued by a man who alleges Dante called him an “old Jew” and a wimp earlier this month and chased him through a Santa Monica restaurant. Plaintiff Scott Burns’ lawsuit in Santa Monica Superior Court alleges assault, defamation and defamation, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Burns is seeking $1.5 million in damages in the lawsuit filed Thursday.
A representative for the 53-year-old “Grandma’s Boy” actor could not be immediately reached for comment. At around 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 3, Burns went to Lares, a Mexican restaurant on Pico Boulevard where he dines regularly, the suit said. Burns, who is elderly and has a heart condition, entered through the back door due to management’s COVID-19 safety protocols and was shown to his table after taking his temperature and showing his vaccination card, the suit said.
Dante intentionally blocked the area Burns had to traverse, and although the plaintiff apologized, a visibly intoxicated Dante began “verbally assaulting” him, according to the lawsuit. Dante then began asking Burns intrusive and personal questions in a threatening tone, and called the plaintiff’s responses “stupid,” the lawsuit says. “The plaintiff was humiliated in the small room in front of staff he knows well and the other guests,” the complaint reads.
Dante, who allegedly ignored Burns’ requests to stop speaking to him, called the plaintiff a “sissy” and asked if he would do anything about it, but Burns replied that according to the lawsuit, he didn’t want to fight. Dante made anti-Semitic remarks about Burns’ appearance, saying he was an “old Jew” with a “Jewish nose,” the suit said. Dante later approached Burns’ table and loomed over the plaintiff, leaving Burns feeling like he was being attacked, the lawsuit says. When Burns told a waiter he was leaving, Dante yelled, loudly in the suit, “Watch Sissy run away”.
Dante chased Burns around a large table and the plaintiff was able to call the police and tell the operator to put him on the phone because he feared for his safety, the lawsuit says. The restaurant owner’s daughter approached and held Dante away from Burns, then told the actor, “Pay your bill and get out. You’re out of here,” the suit reads. Dante finally left. Burns, who felt humiliated and believes his reputation had been tarnished, continues to have nightmares and feelings of apprehension when in public places, particularly when visiting Lares, according to the lawsuit.
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