Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman was drinking alcohol in the hours leading up to his serious car crash last summer (08), according to a lawsuit filed by the female passenger who was with him at the time of the accident.
The Dark Knight star was driving Demaris Meyer home after a night out when the incident occurred in Tennessee in August (08).
Freeman suffered a broken arm and shoulder in the crash, while Meyer claims she sustained a broken wrist, a torn labrum in her shoulder and various other bruises and lacerations.
In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday (25Feb09) morning in Mississippi federal court, Meyer alleges she noticed "throughout the course of dinner and afterward, drinks were consumed by Freeman".
She claims they met up with friends at a pal's house later that evening, where Freeman "had at least one more drink". Meyer left the party with Freeman after he offered to give her a room for the night - but as they were driving home, the actor lost control of the car and "ran off of the right side of the highway".
Meyer, who has hired top celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred to fight her case, is suing for damages to cover medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and permanent disability for her short term memory loss.
And, during a press conference held on Wednesday afternoon, Meyer also dismissed rumours she was Freeman's mistress.
The 71-year-old's marital status came under media scrutiny following the crash, when the identity of his passenger was revealed to be Meyer - and not his wife Myrna Colley-Lee. Freeman later confirmed he and Colley had split after 24 years of marriage.
Addressing the romance reports, Meyer insisted they were "just friends" after meeting for the first time on the night of the accident.