Eric La Salle's sour grapes
Billie
"ER" hunk Eriq La Salle is dragging his ex-fiancee into court -- distraught
that she dumped him and furious that she won't take him back, says a pal.
It's become one of the nastiest bust-ups ever!
Just this past summer, Eriq was aglow with news that he was going to marry his
girlfriend of five years, Angela Johnson, and she'd even purchased her wedding
dress. Now he's afraid she's a gold digger trying to latch on to his money.
On the surface, the lawsuit simply asks the court to dissolve a partnership
they put together to buy a fabulous $2.3 million lakeside love nest. Eriq wants
Angela to give up any claim to the property -- saying he paid for it.
But her friend insists the straitlaced Sunday school teacher is anything but a
gold digger -- and that she dumped La Salle because she suspected him of
cheating on her.
What's more, her pal charges that La Salle's suit is an attempt by the rebuffed
actor to get revenge.
"Angela turned down one last desperate plea by Eriq to take him back -- and a
week later he filed suit against her," disclosed a source close to both.
Eriq's mood was a far cry from last summer when the love-struck star -- who
plays Dr. Peter Benton -- sent out invitations to a romantic November wedding
on a Caribbean island.
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FAST FACT!
Eriq's nickname is "Q-smooth" -- "Q" for the unique spelling of his name and
"smooth" for his "ER" character's skill with the scalpel and women.
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He had pursued Angela for three years, before finally catching her, and just
signed a $27 million "ER" contract.
Angela, a high-level business consultant, bought a $10,000 Vera Wang gown for
her wedding.
"But just weeks before the nuptials, Angela dumped him," revealed the close
source.
"She suspected Eriq had been cheating on her and decided he would not make a
good husband.
"Angela's a good Christian, who still teaches Sunday school.
"She's no gold digger.
"She knew Eriq had just signed his massive new contract and, if she was
interested only in money, she'd have married him.
"Even after the wedding was canceled, Eriq was still trying to win Angela back.
"He called her constantly, begging her to marry him.
" 'You're my woman,' he told her. 'I need you. You're the best thing that ever
happened to me. I can't make it without you.'
"When they were together, Eriq would constantly tell friends, 'God sent me an
angel.'
"And when they broke up, he said, 'I lost my angel -- and it's my fault.'
"While they were together, the business- savvy Angela took over all of Eriq's
finances.
"She refused to move into Eriq's luxury Beverly Hills mansion before they were
married, but she did agree to buy a getaway home with him on Lake Arrowhead in
California."
They formed a partnership to purchase the home so the very private actor
wouldn't be listed in public records as the owner.
They closed on the 4,400-square-foot property on July 23, 1999.
But by August, just three months before the planned wedding, Angela began
having second thoughts and finally called it off.
On January 14, Eriq filed his suit. In it, he asked the court to rule that he
is the sole owner of the disputed property.
He also told the court that Angela is asking to be paid for helping him on
business matters -- even though she had done the work "out of love and
affection." He wants the court to deny her payment.
Since Angela is a business consultant -- whose reputation for honesty and
integrity is vital -- the charge by Eriq that she's trying to squeeze money out
of him could be very harmful.
But the lawsuit has been brought to protect La Salle's interests -- since back
on August 31, when the relationship was dissolving, Angela signed a document
giving him full ownership of the property.
The lawsuit attempts to confirm that the agreement is legally binding.
La Salle refused to comment on the blazing battle, but a friend of the actor
insists that "Eriq has to protect himself legally."
-- JOHN SOUTH and PATRICIA SHIPP
~Just remember...if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.~
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