‘Transformers’ director Michael Bay billed more than claims a pigeon was killed on a film set in Italy. He suggests no animals involved in the movie were being harmed.

• Michael Bay has been billed around claims a pigeon was killed on a movie established in Rome, Italy, in 2018.

• Italian authorities say the incident transpired on the set of Bay’s “6 Underground,” reports TheWrap.

• Bay mentioned in a statement that he has “obvious online video evidence” that “exonerates” him.

“Transformers” director Michael Bay has denied allegations from him right after staying billed more than promises that a pigeon was killed on the established of his 2019 Netflix blockbuster, “6 Underground.”

TheWrap studies that Italian authorities have billed Bay in relationship with the demise of a homing pigeon on the established of the film in Rome in 2018. Bay verified there are fees in opposition to him in reviews to the publication. Insider could not independently confirm the exact charges from the director at push time.

Pigeons are a guarded species, together with other wild birds in Italy, and there is a countrywide regulation versus killing, harming, or capturing them, the publication stated.

TheWrap report cites a production source who claimed that a chicken was killed by a dolly during a just take. A witness took a image and noted the incident to the authorities, TheWrap was instructed.

Speaking to the publication, Bay stated that his team has “clear online video proof” that disproves the promises.

“We have crystal clear online video proof, a multitude of witnesses, and security officers that exonerates us from these claims and disproves their a person paparazzi image — which presents a wrong story,” the film director reported. “I am a effectively-acknowledged animal lover and important animal activist. No animal concerned in the manufacturing was hurt or harmed. Or on any other production I have worked on in the past 30 decades.”

He additional: “There is an ongoing court docket circumstance so I can’t get into the particulars, but I am self-confident we will prevail when I have my day in court.”

TheWrap reported that Bay is staying held responsible for the incident as the director of the film that was in output.

The publication stated Bay’s authorized group has tried out to toss the case out 3 occasions in the previous yr, and the Italian authorities even gave the “Ambulance” director the choice to spend a wonderful to settle the situation. Bay declined the high-quality.

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“I was provided by the Italian authorities a chance to settle this issue by paying a smaller good, but I declined to do so due to the fact I would not plead responsible to getting harmed an animal,” Bay explained.

Neither representatives for the Italian police section nor Michael Bay could immediately be reached for comment.

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