Billy Corgan Sued by Actor Eric Dane Over Fallen Tree

Rolling Stone – Wed, Oct 3, 2012 2:10 PM EDT

Landscaping troubles have landed Billy Corgan in court: former Grey's Anatomy actor Eric Dane is suing the Smashing Pumpkins leader, claiming a tree on Corgan's property nearly killed Dane's pregnant wife when it crashed into their house during a storm last year, ABC News reports.

The lawsuit says that Dane's wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, was home with the couple's 20-month-old daughter when the tree fell, snapping several power lines and setting off the sprinkler system, which flooded Dane and Gayheart's house. Gayheart and the baby escaped unharmed. 

The lawsuit also claims that Corgan had been warned that his trees were shaky and dangerous, which the rocker denied as "patently untrue" in a statement. He added, "I was horrified when I learned about the tree falling. . . . Thankfully, no one was injured." 

While neither Dane nor Gayheart responded to requests for a comment, Corgan called the legal battle a "shame . . . because they are nice people."

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