Jim Carrey will find a trial into his ex-girlfriend’s death "very painful".
The ‘Mask’ actor has been accused by Cathriona White’s mother and estranged husband of providing the drugs used by the make-up artist when she took her own life in September 2015 and a trial date has now been set for April 26 2018, with Deirdre Hill estimating on Wednesday (31.05.17) that it will last for around 20 days.
After the hearing, Jim’s lawyer, Raymond Boucher, said: "Mr Carrey loved Ms White dearly and so obviously it will be a very painful process for him."
During the legal meeting, Mr. Boucher argued allegations under drugs legislation were likely to fall outside the statute of limitations and insisted the wrongful death claims were too vague.
But Ahmed Ibrahim, representing Brigid Sweetman and Mark Burton, urged the judge not to delay the proceedings, arguing the 55-year-old star’s lawyers would keep coming back for "another bite of the apple", and asked to keep the lawsuits’ wording open.
He added: "We are clearly not alleging that Jim Carrey was selling drugs out of the back of his pickup truck and was therefore not marketing or selling in the traditional sense of what that word would bring to mind."
Cathriona’s mother has claimed the ‘Dumb and Dumber’ star provided her daughter with the prescription drugs Ambien, Propranolol and Percocet, which she overdosed on, and also alleged he gave her three sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) and pressured her to keep quiet about them before her death.
Her estranged husband is suing over similar claims.
Jim has denied all the allegations against him, with his lawyer slamming them as "predatory" and "malicious".
After the make-up artist’s death, Jim paid a loving tribute to his former partner, who he had split from shortly before her passing.
He said: "I am shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of my sweet Cathriona.
"She was a truly kind and delicate Irish flower, too sensitive for this soil, to whom loving and being loved was all that sparkled. My heart goes out to her family and friends and to everyone who loved and cared about her. We have all been hit with a lightning bolt."
Jim Carrey to face trial
