Actor in Donkey Kong costume suffers heart injury, sues Nintendo
This ain't no monkey business.
An actor hired by Nintendo to play Donkey Kong at an LA launch event for Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D last year is suing Nintendo after suffering from a serious heart condition allegedly brought on by the unsafe work conditions he was subject to.
As reported by the LA Times, the actor, Parker Mills, was denied breaks and not provided with the required ice packs to cool him down as he portrayed the famous gorilla in the smoldering heat.
The lawsuit also stated that Mills was supposed to receive oversight from an ambassador at Nintendo hired to escort the costumed actor, but the company failed to follow through on this.
"It created a very stressful environment," said one of Mills' attorneys, James Carr.
This is ostensibly what led to him suffering an aortic dissection, i.e. the tearing of aortic walls. Mills had to undergo surgery and get a permanent heart defibrillator implanted in him.
One can imagine the medical bills for such a procedure to be quite costly, not to mention the emotional toll and long-term danger he's since been subject too.
The question is: is Nintendo to blame here? We've reached out to the video game giant, which has declined to comment on this case.