Michael Douglas

This is doing the rounds of Twitter, thanks to the Liberal Party YouTube channel. It’s pretty funny.

The rip off was spotted by none other than Liberal Party Director Brian Loughnane, a big fan of the movie The American President.

Mr Loughnane told The Punch:

“I was going through the torture of watching Albo at the Press Club when suddenly I thought to myself – I’ve heard all this before!”

Making reference to the central love interest in the film, Mr Loughnane said:

“I suddenly had this thought – I’m late for a meeting with Sydney Ellen Wade, and I’m stuck on Dupont Circle”

“I thought, this is too good to be true, so I Googled the script and then we set about making the video”.

Of all the political films Anthony Albanese could have drawn inspiration from, The American President was a risky choice. It was written by Aaron Sorkin, every political tragic’s favourite writer.

Hollywood divorce stories usually fall into three categories. The good-for-a-laugh-because-they-have-more-money-than-sense kind of story, the too-painful-to-read-story-of-betrayal (most recently, Sandra Bullock) and the unbelievable-jaw-dropping-can-they-really-do-that, kind. The subjects of today’s Lightweight are an example of the third kind.

Cue Diandra Douglas, the 52 year old ex-wife of actor Michael Douglas, who is claming half of the profits from his latest movie, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

The Herald Sun reports that the ex-Mrs Douglas is, “citing a provision in the couple’s 2000 divorce that promises half the profits of any movies done by her famous husband during their two decades as man and wife -including residuals, merchandising and ancillary rights.”

But Mr Douglas, 65 years of age and currently married to Catherine Zeta Jones, is not having any of it. He’s arguing that his latest flick is a “sequel” and not a “spin-off” of the 1987 original and therefore, doesn’t count.  And it’s a fair retaliation, when you consider that he’s reported to have already paid his ex-wife approximately $US45 million in their original divorce settlement.

But what do you think? Does she have a right to the money or not?