Cody Saintgnue Claims He Was Tricked into a VIP Area to Visit with a Fan, Then Told He Had to Pay for VIP Service.
Cody Saintgnue, an actor on MTV’s Teen Wolf tv show, is suing The Mirage for an alleged assault. The 21-year old actor was confronted by casino security after he refused to pay a bill.
Saintgnue was having his 21st birthday party at 1 OAK Nightclub at The Mirage. He paid a bill of $717.36, but was told he still owed $1,000. Later, the thousand dollar charge was reduced to $164.58, but not before Cody Saintgnue claims he was the victim of a “shakedown” attempt.
“The Worst 21st Birthday Ever”
In a telephone interview with The Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Los Angeles actor and model said he brought a group to The Mirage to celebrate his 21st birthday. The night began as fun with friends, but took a disturbing turn when the bill arrived and he disputed charges. He and his friends were drinking and dancing, when an employee of the casino appeared and asked if they wanted to upgrade to “an enhanced VIP status”.
They declined, but a member of the staff later appeared and asked if he would go to the VIP area, supposedly at the request of a wealthy fan. The legal filing said that Cody agreed to the request “with some naivete, [as he] saw no problem with the request, consented to meet the individual, and was escorted to the private party by the person working for 1 OAK.”
When he decided to leave the VIP party, the actor learned he was expected to stay for the remainder of the night–and was required to pay for the VIP treatment. He took exception to the trickery, which is when he was confronted by security. Saintgnue claims security took him to an isolated room and was assaulted after he was billed for hundreds of dollars worth of VIP service he had not requested. As he was being led out of the casino, the actor produced a cellphone to take video of his predicament. At that point, security attacked and beat him.
In the interview, he added, “It was the worst 21st birthday ever.”
Saintgnue’s Lawsuit
The actor has played Brett Talbot, a werewolf who plays on a lacrosse team at a prestigious prep school, for 22 episodes of Teen Wolf. In a lawsuit filed by his lawyers, he claims that a 6-man team of security staff members attacked him while demanding money.
The filing said the attack happened “with no less than six persons participating, and plaintiff’s head was banged repeatedly against a wall and plaintiff’s ribs were bruised, all while plaintiff was not fighting back.”
Graphic YouTube Video of the Assault
After a 42-second video of the incident surfaced on YouTube, Cody Saintgnue’s legal team added specific members of the security team to the lawsuit. Those men can be seen beating his head against the wall and throwing him to the ground. The lawsuit also include The Mirage casino and the 1 OAK Nightclub.
In the video, the actor is holding a smartphone with both hands in his front. When a security member tries to secure the phone and Saintgnue draws it away, he is wrestled to the ground, but not before his head is slammed against the wall. Those who do not like violence should avoid watching the video. On YouTube, it has a trigger warning.
About The Mirage
The Mirage is a Las Vegas Strip casino known for its Polynesian theme and signature attractions like the Dolphin Habitat, The Volcano, and The Secret Garden. The casino was built by Steve Wynn and opened in 1989. These days, it is owned by Caesars Entertainment and features shows like Terry Fator and The Beatles: LOVE.
Over the past 26 years, The Mirage has made a significant contribution to the Las Vegas pop culture. From 1990 until 2003, the Mirage was home to the Siegfried & Roy Show. It is also where Guy Laliberte’s Cirque du Soleil first got its start, when it launched the Nouvelle Experience show in a tent in the casino’s parking lot.
About Cody Saintgnue
Cody Saintgnue’s has a rags-to-riches story like few others in Hollywood. Born in Dayton, Ohio, he was placed in foster care at the age of 9. He was adopted soon after by parents who encouraged his attempts to break into showbiz. Due to his own upbringing, Cody is active in children’s charities and other philanthropic works.
At the age of 14, Cody and his mother moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. To begin his acting career, he appeared on television shows like Southland, America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back, House M.D., and Criminal Minds. His first movie was 2013’s “All Cheerleaders Die”, but he got famous for his role on the popular MTV show, Teen Wolf.
