A New York State Supreme Court judge Monday tossed a $100 million lawsuit filed by a man, name of Michael Costanza, who claimed dearly departed sitcom Seinfeld stole his life for the show's resident loser, George Costanza.
To add financial injury to insult, the justice also ordered Costanza (the real one) to pay $2,500 for filing a frivolous complaint. The man's lawyer was hit with the same penalty.
Michael Costanza made headlines last October when he alleged Seinfeld cocreators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David cribbed details from his life for the small-minded TV malcontent played for nine seasons by Jason Alexander. NBC and Castle Rock Entertainment also were named in the suit.
Costanza, a 43-year-old real-estate agent from Long Island, New York, said Seinfeld used insider knowledge (both were students in the 1970s at Queens college) to pull off the character heist. Among the Michael Costanza traits awarded to George Costanza, the lawsuit alleged: Both had high-school gym teachers who belittled them as "Can't-Stand-Ya." Michael Costanza's lawyer asserted that the supposedly eerie likenesses were damaging his client's life.
The real-Costanza connection was a jolt to Seinfeld fans who had always been told that Larry David himself was the basis for the loser character.
On Monday, David sounded pleased his reputation was intact. That went double for George's.
"The universe would be out of kilter if someone named Costanza won anything," the comic said in a statement.