As hard as it is to believe, apparently one business man completely confused the message behind last year’s hit film. “The Wolf of Wall Street” starring Leonardo Dicaprio is based on the true story of Jordan belfort. A man who embezzled millions before being caught by the FBI. It could be thought of a story with a strong moral message. Something along the lines of: Crime does not pay or pride will lead to fall. However, it appears one man decided to model an office on the frat house adventures of the film’s characters.
A report from the New York Post explains that Benjamin Alderson wanted to mould the office around the one shown in the film. In the movie, the characters take drugs and commit acts of violence. It seems absurd that someone would try to replicate this type of situation but according to one woman’s claim this is the case.
Phillipa Okoye has claimed that she worked in an office like the one from “The Wolf of Wall Street.” She is the wife of British Olympics athlete and NFL Star Lawrence Okoye. She claims she was repeatedly bombarded with racist and sexist comments related to the fact her husband is a black man.
These comments ranged from the Obscene to the ridiculous. “How many cheerleaders has your husband f***** today?” Phillipa alleges her boss said to her at one meeting. She also claims she was told not to take her husband’s last name because people would think she was black.
As the only female employee at the office after being hired in 2013, we can how imagine how uncomfortable it must have been for her. She spoke to her boss about the behaviour she was being faced with. He allegedly retorted, “this is why I didn’t want women in the office.” Phillipa was later fired.
It sounds like Mrs Okoye could have a strong legal case on her hands and should consider hiring from a top firm like Zaner Harden Law. Thankfully, she has already filed a lawsuit and is now suing for damages. The proceedings are ongoing.
It is unclear what the outcome of the case will be. However, we should agree this is incredibly worrying. In the past, there have been news stories where people have mimicked the actions of film or video game characters. Although, Jordan Belfort is a real criminal he was still the subject of a Hollywood film. The truth of his story was, most likely exaggerated, to make it more entertaining. There have been cases of tragedies caused by teenagers imitating games like “Grand Theft Auto” and “Manhunt”.
Although if the claims are true, this was not a teenager who may have had mental health issues. This was a man who believed it would be acceptable to run a business with the moral standards of a college dorm room. Why? Possibly because he saw it on a movie screen and thought it looked cool. This is the kind of behaviour we may expect from young minds but not adults. Some of us may wish we were able to fly like superman but that does not mean we should jump out the nearest window. It is troubling to believe this could be the start of a legal precedent.
