Rebecca Gayheart Sued For Wrongful Death Of 9 Year Old

Posted Wednesday, August 8, 2001 at 9:07 AM Central

by Tim Briscoe

Urban Legend star girl Rebecca Gayheart has been sued for the wrongful death of 9-year-old Los Angeles boy.

The boy's parents claim Gayheart struck the boy with her '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee while he was crossing a Hollywood street in June. The couple's attorney states that, "the vehicle was driven in an unsafe and negligent manner" since Gayheart was reportedly operating a cell phone when the accident occurred.

Gayheart denied the claims in a statement. She said, "Despite the allegations in the lawsuit, the facts will establish that this was a most unfortunate accident. The pain of this tragedy will live with me forever."

The owner of the car driven by Gayheart, actor Marco Leonardi, was also named in the suit. The amount of damages sought by the lawsuit were not specified.

Actress Gayheart is also known from her brief role on TV's "Beverly Hills 90210" and as the star of a Noxema commercial.