Piven Confident He Can Prove Mercury Poisoning

Actor Jeremy Piven is confident he will be cleared of allegations he faked a health scare to allow him to pull out of Broadway play Speed-the-Plow as he prepares to defend his honour in an arbitration hearing.

The Entourage star stepped down from the show in December, citing severe fatigue. He claims he was diagnosed with toxic mercury poisoning and blames regular sushi meals for his medical woes.

Broadway bosses, who were forced to replace Piven with William H. Macy at the last minute, are furious with his sudden departure and are not convinced the actor was really ill.

They filed a complaint with the Actors Equity Association, claiming Piven's exit jeopardised show earnings.

The case is due to be heard in an arbitration meeting with union bosses in June, and Piven is sure he can prove his illness was serious - because U.S. president Barack Obama has identified mercury poisoning as a "grave chemical problem".

His representative says in a statement, "After Mr. Piven was diagnosed with a potentially toxic Mercury level, he reluctantly left Speed-the-plow at the insistence of his doctors, who warned him that enforced rest was required to avoid severe medical problems, including a heart attack. Mr. Piven is looking forward to testifying in Arbitration along with his doctors so that the truth comes out about the very health serious risks caused by Mercury exposure, which the Obama administration has recently described as the world's gravest chemical problem."

And Piven is mystified by the theatre executives' decision to share details of the hearing to the press - vowing to keep his medical records private - because he has been open to being reexamined by a doctor from the start.

The rep adds, "Mr. Piven had also repeatedly offered to be examined by a doctor designated by the producers both before, during and after his hospitalisation for toxic Mercury levels. The producers never took him up on that offer.

"The fact that the producers issued a statement announcing the Arbitration dates suggests that this is part of a punitive strategy to intimidate actors so that they ignore serious health symptoms and the advice of medical professionals due to fear that they will be sued."