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Nicolas Cage stepped back into the spotlight on March 10, making his first public appearance since being dismissed from his ex-girlfriend Christina Fulton's lawsuit. The Oscar winner, 61, attended the SXSW premiere of his new psychological thriller, "The Surfer," in Austin, Texas, dressed in a distinctive black sparkle suit complemented by a satin button-up shirt, sunglasses, and a black top hat.
The appearance coincided with Fulton's decision to dismiss Cage from her assault lawsuit against their son, Weston Coppola Cage. According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Fulton's attorney filed the request for dismissal with prejudice, meaning she cannot pursue the claim against Cage in the future. However, she continues to pursue legal action against their 34-year-old son.
"The allegations by Christina Fulton against Nicolas Cage are absurd and frivolous," Cage's attorney stated. "Weston Coppola is a 34-year-old man. Mr. Cage does not control Weston's behavior in any manner and is not responsible for Weston's alleged assault of his mother."
The lawsuit, filed in February 2025, stemmed from an alleged incident on April 28, 2024, when Weston reportedly physically attacked his mother. In her complaint, Fulton claimed Cage had enabled their son's behavior despite being "aware of Weston's long history of mental and psychological disorder." Weston was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon in July 2024 and released on $150,000 bond.
"On April 28th, 2024, around 5:30 p.m., I received urgent messages from friends of my son regarding his deteriorating mental state," Fulton said in a statement. "When I arrived to offer support, he was already in the midst of a manic rage. Within minutes, I was brutally assaulted and sustained serious injuries."
Weston's attorney Michael A. Goldstein countered these claims, stating: "The incident with his mother was caused by her – not his father. At Christina's urging and direction, he agreed to see a new doctor selected by her, who promptly changed his medication and treatment."
Meanwhile, "The Surfer," directed by Lorcan Finnegan, has generated positive buzz since its screening at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The Guardian awarded it four out of five stars, describing it as "a pleasing, no-frills intensity" and "a low-budget, hard-hitting comic bruiser of a picture." Variety called it "a kind of trippy slapdash comic nightmare."
In the film, Cage plays a man who returns to the beach of his childhood to surf with his son but becomes embroiled in conflict with local surfers, pushing him to his breaking point. Co-star Julian McMahon previously praised Cage's creative energy on set, saying, "Nicolas brings a lot of energy to his work... We both like to throw a lot of things out there. He's got a lot of creative ideas."
As Cage promotes his "gloriously demented B-movie," the family legal drama continues to unfold separately, with Weston recently announcing his engagement to girlfriend Jenifer Alexa Canter.
