Austinite Brandon Vezmar made the rounds yesterday when news broke that he was suing his internet date for texting during a movie. Vezmar and his companion met online, and then set up a movie date to see Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2. When he asked her to take her texting outside, she then left the theater, leaving him without a ride. The $17.31 he’s suing for is to cover the price of the ticket, and also to make a statement, according to the petition: “the principle is important as defendant’s behavior is a threat to civilized society.”
As of this morning the story has spread to CNN, New York Post, Fox, and several other media outlets. So it’s not surprising that the news had also reached James Gunn, director of the film in question, who weighed in on Twitter:
Meanwhile, The Austin American-Statesman has contacted the defendant, who asked that her name not be used. She emphatically stated, “This is crazy,” and said that Vezmar contacted her a few times to get the price of the ticket back.
“I had my phone low and I wasn’t bothering anybody,” she said. She was texting a friend, who was having a fight with her boyfriend, she said. “It wasn’t like constant texting.”
The defendant is also planning to file a protective order against Vezmar for contacting her little sister to get the money for the movie ticket.
“I’m not a bad woman,” the woman told the Statesman. “I just went out on a date.”
The defendant made a further statement when contacted by Austin ABC affiliate KVUE:
KVUE spoke with the woman at the center of the lawsuit, who gave the following statement:
I did have a very brief date with Brandon, that I chose to end prematurely. His behavior made me extremely uncomfortable, and I felt I needed to remove myself from the situation for my own safety. He has escalated the situation far past what any mentally healthy person would. I feel sorry that I hurt his feelings badly enough that he felt he needed to commit so much time and effort into seeking revenge. I hope one day he can move past this and find peace in his life.
“I am fully aware of the weirdness of this situation,” Vezmar told KVUE.