The sister of Billy Bob Thornton’s fourth wife, Pietra Cherniak, is coming forward with a lengthy and more than "adequite" online attack against the actor, who she claims has been stalking and harassing her for almost 10 years. In an email sent out to various gossip sites, Elysabeth Cherniak accuses the formerly entertaining, recently quiet Thornton of not only bugging her phone lines and sending vicious emails, but physically abusing her sister during their marriage and manipulating her father into prescribing him drugs. Speaking of drugs, Cherniak also claims Thornton has been dabbling in cocaine use over the past year. Though the actor’s rep is using the old “Billy Bob doesn’t know how to use email” excuse, this is one actor whose word we don’t automatically value more than their seemingly vindictive accuser. Details on Cherniak's claims, and her email in its entirety after the jump.

Among the most shocking accusations in her email (in full below) is the allegation that, while married to model Pietra in the mid-90s, Thornton would “hit, kick [and] emotionally torture his wife.” In addition, Cherniak claims Billy Bob used their then-practicing doctor father to supply him with codeine for what she calls “his phony make believe migraine headaches. Which my dad finally realized, were just an act to get the drugs he needed.” Though we wouldn’t necessarily find the allegations as a whole suspicious, we do find it difficult to imagine Thornton capable of “masking his actual ip addresses...bypass[ing] security software” and planting spy devices in other people’s homes. Then again, this is the guy with a self-professed phobia of former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli’s hair, so you never know.

Here is the full, unedited text of the email that was posted here:

Newsgroups: alt.showbiz.gossip
From: Queen Elysabeth [REDACTED]
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:37:39 -0700 (PDT)
Local: Sat, Mar 15 2008 8:37 pm
Subject: Billy bob Thornton Drugging And Intruding thug Criminal Two Faced A Hole!

This is part of an email I sent to some gossip sites, in the hopes of this stalking crime being resolved. This is my only choice, since he is too cowardly to do anything brazen enough to produce proof, which is what I would need, in order for the police to have the power to enforce their authority. Stalking is a crime in the state of California, which is punishable by law, with up to 2 years in jail. We found the device's location by which billy bob's people have planted in my mother's bedroom. My sister, Pietra told me for 3 years at least that he was stalking her in the very same way. I did not knot doubt her concern over that happening, but she was his wife, I was only his sister in law and he was an aquaintance at best. He is absolutely scary and two faced. She also told me that he has been buying cocaine from her drug dealing former neighbors in this pat year. He is out of control and must be stopped.

My name is Elysabeth Cherniak, I am Billy Bob Thornton's former sister in law. He has been bugging my home, tapping our telephones, emailing me and somehow masking his actual ip addresses, which also somehow bypasses my security software, and causing problems with orders we place, and otherwise making a nuisance of himself in other ways. He more then likely employees the help, of one or more of the several people, who reside in his Beverly Hills Estate. It has gone on long enough, and we are sick and tired of his harassment.

Billy Bob decided years ago, that it would be funny, annoying, and alright for him call me names, and harass me, when I was working on a psychic hotline. He would call up, and voice his opinions about my character, and assert his opinions about my appearance, etc. A self professed former interveius drug abuser, who still has a drug and alcohol problem, which has become increasingly worse over the years. Which I am certain, has made this serious problem grow even worse. My father, a doctor(now retired), was manipulated by Billy Bob years ago, into prescribing him codeine for his phony make believe migraine headaches. Which my dad finally realized, were just an act to get the drugs he needed, to support his drug habbit. I have been told that he has been using cocaine lately, and is still drinking heavily, among other things. When he would call me on the phone service, my boss would yell at him(KNOWING who it was, she owned the phone line, and had his information on hand). Not only that, but he admitted to me that he was doing this, and he said he was trying to help me, lol. Help? I mean I am shocked that this stalking issue of his, ten years since his calling that phone line, has escalated to the level of bugging our house, and tapping our phones(he has been at least bugging my phone all that time). Then again, his career got bigger, so his habbits became insatiable enough, for him to spend that kind of money, on that type of unsavory activity. Talk about needing a hobby... ...desperately! We have always stayed away from him, we have always left him alone. We told him in a normal tone, we warned him to stay away from us. In other words, this is not even motivated by revenge on his part. This is just something he enjoys doing to us.

I have endured this for many years from him. I have told my cell phone carrier, my isp, and my friends, that he is doing this to me. He told me he was doing these things to me besides. We were not the ones who married him, my sister did. He did this to her also, and she has expressed that to9 myself and my family in the last several years. I believe she is too afraid of him to admit this any longer, but I did let her know that this is now happening to myself recently. although I realize this has been happening consistently for over 10 years now. I can give examples of his blatent incidents I have endured, in this blog, but trust me, it is THAT overwhelmingly obvious to me, and has been made apparent by He, himself! He is being brazen enough considering. Yet being sure not to expose that fact, so that it is evident, in the eyes of the police department. I have been researching stalkers, and this is exactly what the experts say to do. Do let as many people as possible know. At first I was apprehensive, only because I am a very private individual. But, I realized more and more that he has been increasingly taunting and menacing. This past year has been hell for me with this, mostly because he sees that I am not involved with a man right now, and he perceives this to mean that I am vulnerable and insecure. Which I am not at all. I have many choices, and I have the support of my mother, friends, and even strangers, all of whom take bullying of women quite seriously. Most importantly, this is illegal and a serious offense. The truth always comes out in the end. He thinks that since nbody can see him doing this, that he can
get away with it. He also trivializes the severity of his actions, by labelling them as "bad habits", and simple "immaturity". But this is extremeluy dangerous behavior, and I refuse to remain complacent about this crime. I am not a victim, a victim would allow his actions to cause them to isolate themself. Which I was beginning to do. He has been continuing this, despite my letting people knows, as well as letting him know I have been doing so.

This is only for my safety. My obvious concern is for the privacy of my home, the safty of my mom, neices, family, and for myself. The implications of this type of activity are enormous, and very disconcerting.

I cannot go to the police without any proof, i.e. video tape, photographs, I have nothing to prove this but what I have experienced, and what my mother has experienced. This is outrageous, and we will not tolerate it any more.

He can react however he wants, he knows and god knows, and whoever else helped him purchase the equipment to enable his ridiculous endeavor in espionage. He told me he is doing this, and he has a history of doing this in the past. He can now afford the luxury of more high tek equipment. He repeats things I discuss in the privacy of my own home, and puts names of people I talk to on the phone, the nature of our conversations, and so forth in emails, in chatrooms. If this were any one else, and not himself STALKING me, they would simply just ask me out on a date, call me on the phone, and send me flowers, and COURT ME!

Like I said, he did this a long time ago, and he admitted it to me. My boss was so upset with him too. He is nothing better then a thug and a criminal as long as he keeps this up.

We do not have the kind of money it would take to identify this type of equipment he uses to do these things to us. He yelled at my mother years ago..."Don't you try to ever take my money Ruth!!" He just plain said this for no apparent reason, he is really really sick! Just tell him to get away from me once and for all! We are not taking any more of his abuse. We are not his battered ex wife, my sister was.

This is very very serious. I worked for him for 4 months of my life. He seems to think that when he marries someone, that entitles him to stalk his wifes family for the rest of his life. I really do not like that I have to post this isn my blog, but I have to protect myself and my mother. This is no laghing matter. I feel terrible for his mother. She is a psychic so she knows what he is putting us through. So do many other people who know him, better then the people who only work with him on a movie or two.

Wouldn't you think that his toddler and his girlfriend are keeping him busy enough, not to mention his huge career? I never in my life met anyone with this much prestige, who behaves like he has some terrible job, and financial issues. It makes me happy that I love myself, have the support of my friends, and the concern I have gotten from strangers. Realizing that he has fans, of which I was one myself. I mean it is such a sham. This guy seems like Mr. Cool! Talk about a farce. If you are somebody who can talk sense into him, and you are a peer of his, perhaps you can scare some serious ense into him. I doubt this will ever cease, he has literally been doing this for over 10 years now! Praticuarly because he knows I have told all of my close friends about this, and he is still going strong. that is why i am just resigning myself to the fact that this may never go away, not until he expires someday. I have known this was happening, and yet I tried to ignore it. But when I realized it wasn't just being done on my phones, and was being done in my house too? Which was relatively recently, I have just been so horrified and angry about it, I refuse to be a victim. Just know I am not asking for pity, this is happening and it isd real. I know I am not the only one he is doing this to, besdies. He is even worse with us though, I am certain. Mostly because he seems to have a sense of entitlement, because we were his family by marraige before. But that doesn't mean you can impose yourself upon people, obviously. I was involved in a 13 year relationship with someone, so obviously I know what it is to be seriously involved by this time in my life. I feel that he has become more aggressive with his harrassment lately, because I am single now, and I nno longer have someone I share my life with at this time. Which is disgustingly abusive on his part, needless to say. I leave voice mails on my own telephone voicemail, and he tells me he gets my messages, in whch I urge him to stop doing this to me! How nuts is that? He did this to try to make me lose my mind, and he is not achieving that. I know who it is doing this, and I know why. Her is obsessed with me, and not in a good way. It particularly disturbs him that I am psychic, and that is a real issue for him personally. He seems to enjoy doing this because of that as well, because the 6th sense which someone like myself would have, of feeling like you are being watched. That is what he is hoping would drive me nuts?

To think that when the National Enquirer offered me $50,000 to spill the beans about his marraige to my sister, and I turned it down out of their respect for privacy, and this is how he repays me. It is not as though I was making a incredible living. It is almost as though he is mistaking my kindness for weakness. Mind you, I have never been this man's girlfriend, friend, nor enemy, but yet I considered us to be "cordial enough." Mostly, to avoid any kind of issue between he and myself. She and I have never been very close, which he chose as his motivation, when he was initially very imposing towards me, when I first met him, andf they had first gotten together. Although, i had a great career, and my own arpartment, he was flirting with me, behind her back, and telling her that I was a slut, and numerous other rude and ridiculous comments. I just wanted to be left alone. But he seemed to try and involve me ion their life somehow. I knew he was hurting her besides. He was extremely abusive during my sister's marraige to him, and she never did call the police when he would beat her. Personally, I have never dated someone who beat me, and that really frightenned me about him a lot! Perhaps if she had been able to have him taken to jail for doing this to her, then maybe he would have been properly rehabilitated, and not feel the impulse he seems to have which drives him to continue this harrassment of my family, in our home, on our computers, and our telephones. But I do understand that she was scared to death at that time, and was threatenned by him repeatedly. She was told that if she called the authorities, that he would kill her. Their children were so young, and so was my sister. He was certainly old enough to know better then to hit, kick or emotionally torture his wife. He was well into his 30's then. Contrary to his perception of reality, i am empowered and strong. I have god on my side, as I always have been a woman of faith.

This is not about pity, this is just a serious issue concerning a celebrity, who even more then a non-public citizen, is being judged by how he treats others. Particularly females.

Elysabeth

• BILLY BOB ACCUSED OF BUGGING THE HELL OUT OF LADY [TMZ]

From: "Bryant, Matthew" [REDACTED] Date: April 17, 2008 12:50:32 AM EDT To: legal@gawker.com Subject: http://defamer.com/380219/exclusive-debunking-the-marilyn-monroe-sex-tape-hoax

April 16, 2008

By Email
Gawker Media, Legal Department
76 Crosby Street
New York, NY 10012
legal@gawker.com

Re: http://defamer.com/380219/exclusive-debunking-the-marilyn-monroe-sex-tape-hoax

Dear Sir or Madam:

I write on behalf of Keya Morgan in reference to the above-referenced post on www.Defamer.com authored, apparently, in part by Mr. Mark Bellinghaus and the website itself. Please be advised that Mr. Morgan has filed a report today with Precinct 20 of the New York City Police Department in regard to recent threats Mr. Bellinghaus' made on Keya Morgan's life in the wake of Mr. Morgan's recent successful $1.5 million brokerage-sale of a Marilyn Monroe film as reported by Reuters, The New York Post and CBS, NBC and Fox. Mr. Morgan naturally will protect himself and his business to the full extent of the law.

Further, Mr. Bellinghaus' recent publication of the above-referenced defamatory post on www.defamer.com constitutes defamation per se and subject its authors and related internet content providers, such as www.defamer.com and Gawker Media, to civil liability under New York and federal law. Mr. Morgan is a distinguished internationally-recognized manuscript and artifact expert. He has built an impeccable reputation over a decade. Mr. Bellinghaus' challenges to the film's authenticity are based on false information, self-serving analysis and speculation. Neither he nor any of his colleagues interviewed Mr. Morgan. Mr. Morgan authenticated the film based on his interviews with the owner, the son of an FBI informant, the FBI analyst who worked on the film, and his personal review of declassified documents and the film itself. Mr. Morgan's reputation and expertise speaks for itself. Mr. Bellinghaus' allegations that Mr. Morgan is engaging in a fantasy PR campaign are absurd and, most importantly, by his own admission backed up by no evidence whatsoever.

As stated, Mr. Morgan will protect his reputation and business to the full extent of the law. Please find a copy of our cease and desist letter to Mr. Bellinghaus of even date. Please retract and cease any publication of defamatory matter from Mr. Bellinghaus.

Very truly yours,

Matt Bryant
Ohrenstein & Brown
[REDACTED]
Garden City, New York 11530

From: Gaby Darbyshire
To: "Bryant, Matthew"
Date: Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Subject: Re: http://defamer.com/380219/exclusive-debunking-the-marilyn-monroe-sex-tape-hoax

Mr Bryant,

I simply do not accept that anything written in this piece is libellous. Our source is willing to state under oath that they spoke with Mr Morgan last year and that he told them the things stated as coming from him in the article. This piece is simply a detailed analysis of the claims made by your client regarding this tape, and the writers' view of whether those claims are supported by the evidence. That's called reporting. Your client may not like the conclusions drawn, but this country believes in free speech, last I checked. The material is a matter of opinion, strongly held for sure, but not a matter of libel.

If you can point me to any facts stated that are provable incontrovertibly as facts and not mere opinion, then - as I have said - we are willing to print a statement from your client to clarify his position on those specific points. I've already offered to do that over the age of your client (provable fact, but not libellous) and his denial of making any dating claims (not provable, and not libellous either, but if your client cares about this, I'm happy to do it).

Beyond such minor clarifications, either we accept that people of strong conviction and passion for a subject can vehemently disagree about events and their interpretation of events, let them as grown-ups debate their side of the argument in a public forum as experts in their domain, and let the public decide which version they choose to believe - or we can take this matter to the courts and hash through it all there.

I'm happy to do either. Mr Morgan must decide how he wants to proceed.

Regards,

******************************************
Gaby Darbyshire
VP, Finance & Legal, Gawker Media

******************************************

From: "Bryant, Matthew"
Date: April 17, 2008 5:05:39 PM EDT
To: "Gaby Darbyshire"
Subject: RE: http://defamer.com/380219/exclusive-debunking-the-marilyn-monroe-sex-tape-hoax

Dear Ms. Darbyshire:

Thank you for your response to my letter sent yesterday on behalf of Keya Morgan. At this juncture, I advise you to seek counsel from Gawker Media's in-house attorney or, in if no such person exists, seek outside counsel.

From the outset, Defamer.com, Mark Bellinghaus and Gawker Media are accusing my client of fraud. Your headline boasts, as fact, that the film is a "hoax." The apparent editor asserts, as fact, that it was "fabricated." My client is a business man and well respected manuscript and artifact expert. Your website has not only impugned my client's honesty, integrity and profession, but has accused him of committing fraud. This is defamation, not reporting.

It should be noted that while Mr. Morgan embraces the "market place" of ideas, the freedom of the press has always ended at the expense of a third-party's rights. There is little room for an organization doing business as "defamer.com" to hide behind the legitimate press' cloak of freedom. Your self-described "Marilyn Monroe Expert" (Mark Bellinghaus) has well-documented history. Most recently, he threatened to blow up my client's home and stab him. [ED. NOTE - As of April 23, 2008, this case has been closed.] I have personally spoken to Detective Banville of the NYPD's 1st Precinct; Mr. Morgan's policy report number is 2008-001-02543. If Mr. Bellinghaus is found in NYC, he will likely be arrested. His rantings can be viewed by any reporter wishing to verify him as a source at www.marilynmonroeforall.com as a "cyber-harasser" and self-proclaimed Monroe expert. Your website relies on this man as an expert and touts, as fact, his warped conclusions founded in delusion and animosity. We believe goes well beyond mere defamation and constitutes harassment or criminal menacing. For the record, your claim that this is legitimate reporting rings false — Mr. Morgan adamantly denies ever granting an interview to any such self-proclaimed experts. Further, your reporters cannot even ascertain Mr. Morgan's correct age and the allegations regarding his romantic goings-on are simply false and inserted to further harass and injury my client's business and personal reputation.

Unlike other recent on-line defamation cases where anonymous users post on third-party interactive web-sites, defamer.com controls its own web-site and contributed to this content by identifying these alleged expert sources citing their conclusions as fact. We again invite you to seek legal counsel and protect your own business' interests by distancing yourself from Mr. Bellinghaus and his cohorts. Feel free to post this letter as Mr. Morgan's reply to your invitation below.

Very truly yours,

Matt Bryant
Ohrenstein & Brown
[REDACTED]
Garden City, New York 11530

UPDATE (April 18, 2:36pm):: Here is a link to a statement Mark Bellinghaus made on his blog in regards to Mr. Bryant's letters to us.

UPDATE (April 23, 4:21pm): We just received word that the NYPD has closed this case.