Fact Check: Did Kurt Russell file a lawsuit challenging Zohran Mamdani's wealth tax?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Amid the controversy and debate against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wealth tax, a post on social media platforms claimed that Hollywood actor Kurt Russell has filed a lawsuit to kill the tax. The claim has garnered support for the actor, while others are skeptical and called for a fact-check.

Claim: Kurt Russell filed a lawsuit against pied-à-terre tax

According to a viral X post, Hollywood’s conservative icon filed a suit in Manhattan Superior Court seeking an injunction against Mamdani’s wealth tax even as the federal courts decide what constitutes a ‘wealthy’ person.

“He wants me to pay nearly 20 percent of my net worth,” Russell allegedly said, “because I’m clumped together with billionaires.”

The alleged filing argues that while the super-rich may be able to pay the tax, an average New Yorker with one investment property could face significant financial losses.

The comment section of the post showed unwavering support for the actor’s alleged move, indicating that many believe the claim to be real, while others dismissed it as fake and called for verification.

Fact Check: No credible evidence to support the claim

Although lawsuits are filed by the city’s homeowners against Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax, there is no evidence that Russell has also filed a suit challenging that tax.

A search on Google for the claim yielded no credible reports by prominent news and entertainment media outlets, which, if true, would not go unreported, given the debates surrounding the tax.

There are also no official announcements from the actor about such a move, nor is there any evidence of him making the above-mentioned remark.

Moreover, the account that posted the claim is not a credible source and has posted several such exaggerated and unverified claims for the sake of engagement, likely intended as satire.

Lawsuit challenging Zohran Mamdani's wealth tax

The claim surfaced after the homeowner in the city launched their first legal challenge to the tax, arguing that it unlawfully shifted the burden of proving tax exemptions onto homeowners instead of identifying eligible property itself.  

The lawsuit was filed in the Staten Island Supreme Court targeting one of Mamdani's significant revenue measures instead of the legality of the tax itself. 

According to the lawsuit, the Department of Finance unlawfully published a list of nearly one million properties that could fall under the tax and sent roughly 17,000 warning notices informing the homeowners that they could face five-figure tax bills unless they proved they qualified for an exemption.