MaXXXine actor James Hunter's controversial past exposed amid Mia Goth lawsuit—Vexatious litigant?

A background actor who claims actress Mia Goth deliberately kicked him in the head and insulted him during the filming of MaXXXine is facing accusations of being a “vexatious litigant” from a former girlfriend and her stepfather in separate ongoing civil lawsuits, according to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone.

James Hunter, whose IMDb credits include appearances in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, was sentenced to 10 days in Los Angeles County jail in 2015 for a rent scam. His past resurfaced on social media after he filed a $500,000 lawsuit against Goth, MaXXXine director Ti West, and the entertainment company A24. Hunter alleges that he suffered a severe concussion while filming a scene with Goth in April 2023.

Hunter, hired to play a deceased parishioner in the horror film, claimed Goth got too close to his head during one take. He said he alerted the crew to keep her at a safe distance. In the next take, Goth allegedly kicked him in the head on purpose. Hunter asserts that after reporting the injury to an assistant director, Goth was “forced” to apologize. However, he claims that Goth followed him into a portable restroom to belittle him, telling him, “Nobody will believe you because you’re nothing. Get the f*** off my set, you big baby.” Hunter also claims he was dismissed from the set the following day.

Three senior production sources from MaXXXine told Rolling Stone they were unaware of the alleged incident until Hunter’s lawsuit was filed. They also claim that Hunter did not report any injuries and that he had not mentioned the incident when he was told he was not needed for the remaining days of filming. Jeff Olan, the casting agent for the film, expressed disbelief over Hunter’s claims, stating that Hunter never complained about the set incident.

In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for A24 stated: “The claims made in the complaint are simply not true. As this is in active litigation, we cannot say more at this time but continue to vigorously defend Mia and the entire filmmaking team against these extremely baseless allegations.”

Hunter has gained attention online by speaking about his case and responding to critics. He has defended his actions and clarified his involvement in previous legal matters. Hunter also faces a restraining order from a former girlfriend, which he is appealing. She alleged that Hunter stalked her and threatened her after their relationship ended. Hunter denies these allegations and claims he never sent the threatening messages.

Additionally, Hunter is involved in a civil lawsuit against the woman and her stepfather, claiming they broke an oral contract for a film project and threatened him. Both the woman and her stepfather have requested that Hunter be deemed a “vexatious litigant,” but a judge denied the motion, stating that Hunter’s ongoing cases had not yet been determined as meritless.

Hunter is demanding that A24 release footage from the filming, claiming the company has obstructed his requests. A24 has stated that while they agreed to provide certain footage, Hunter refused to sign a protective order to keep the material confidential. Hunter claims A24's proposal is a “unilateral gag order” and says he has not yet produced documents to support his claims due to ongoing discovery.

Despite his insistence on proving his claims in court, Hunter missed two scheduled depositions, citing severe migraines as the reason. The next court hearing is set for September.