Judge rules against Brad Pitt in Hurricane Katrina shoddy homes case

A judge in the US has rejected a request from the Hollywood superstar to be removed from a lawsuit, leaving the way clear for him to face being sued.

A judge has denied actor Brad Pitt’s request to be taken off a lawsuit that says his Make it Right Foundation built shoddy homes in the New Orleans area that was hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina.

Brad Pitt in Cannes earlier this year. Picture: Getty

The Times-Picayune/ The N ew Orleans Advocate reports Pitt and other foundation directors asked the court to remove them from the lawsuit, saying they weren’t personally responsible for the construction.

Judge Rachael Johnson denied the request last week.

Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, 2005. Picture: Supplied

People waiting to be evacuated from the notorious Superdome in New Orleans. Picture: AFP

Two homeowners filed the suit. Their attorney, Ron Austin, says the homes built by the foundation in the Lower Ninth Ward have infrastructural issues and residents have reported being sick.

Rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina. Picture: AP

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More than 100 green Make It Right houses were built in 2008. The foundation sued the principal architect last year saying his designs were defective.

Originally published as Judge rules against Brad Pitt in Hurricane Katrina shoddy homes case