Christian Slater is being sued by his father for $20 million in damages
Slater's dad, Michael Hawkins, says his son and ex-wife Mary Jo Slater "ruined" his acting career in the suit, according to court papers obtained by People magazine.
The suit asks that the court order Slater to pay his father for damages as a result of slander, libel, defamation of character, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Hawkins asked for a jury trial.
Hawkins - who starred on the soap opera "Ryan's Hope" from 1975 to 1976 - pointed to a December 2015 interview in which Slater said Hawkins is "a manic-depressive schizophrenic."
The 80-year-old actor argues that Christian doesn't have the medical degree or knowledge to diagnose mental illnesses. He also says that he has been "blacklisted" in the entertainment industry and doesn't believe he'll ever be able to act professionally again.
In a 2015 Interview magazine article (not the one indicated in the lawsuit), Slater, 46, referred to his father having a mental condition and said it was a cause of his father's acting career problems. He also said they had a "tumultuous, back-and-forth relationship," but they were working on reconciliation.
Business Insider contacted Slater's representative for comment.