Claire Forlani - Forlani In Dispute With Art Dealer

British actress CLAIRE FORLANI is facing a legal battle with an art dealer who alleges the star ruined his credibility.

The unnamed specialist alleges the Meet Joe Black actress destroyed his "fragile and intangible" reputation by making false claims about his business practices in a mass email to friends.

In his defamation lawsuit, the dealer has accused the Brit of writing an "almost 500-word poison-pen note" in which she allegedly claimed he sold her counterfeited works, passing them off as pieces by famed artists Keith Haring and William Claxton.

She was also said to have accused him of overcharging her for works by pop artist Andy Warhol.

He insists he is innocent of the claims, but has been so wronged that "only a very large damages judgment can begin to remedy" his bruised reputation, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ.com.

A lawyer for Forlani says, "This lawsuit is absurd and totally without merit. We are very confident that the court will throw out the suit."