The irony is obvious: a fortune teller who failed to foresee his own accident. A professional tarot card reader is suing theater chain Vue for £12.7 million, or around $17 million, claiming his future as an online fortune-telling guru was ruined when he was “catapulted” from a defective seat in a London theater.
Marcus Hunefalk-Franzen, a 60-year-old tarot card reader and actor, says the bizarre incident occurred at a Vue theater in Islington, London, in September 2015. According to The Independent, he was getting up from his seat after a matinee screening when the chair suddenly collapsed, sending him flying into the seat in front. He claims to have suffered a “whiplash” injury that resulted in chronic neck and back pain, as well as impaired hearing, taste, and smell.
Mr. Hunefalk-Franzen says the accident left him with a chronic pain condition, severely harmed his earnings as a tarot reader, and resulted in the loss of multiple acting and performing arts opportunities. Court documents allege that bolts securing the chair to the floor were missing, turning what should have been an ordinary trip to the movies into an 11-year legal battle.
The fortune teller was supposed to start a business if it wasn’t for the accident
According to the Daily Mail, Hunefalk-Franzen initially sought around $67,000 in restitution, which later rose to $268,000. However, his claim has now ballooned to around $17 million, which reportedly includes compensation for shoes and past vacations. He claims that if not for the accident, he would have built an online psychic empire called “MyPsychicEye,” which he believes could have generated around $2 million annually and could have been sold for around $4 million upon his retirement.
His lawsuit also demands that the theater chain cover thousands of dollars for a 15-year supply of orthopedic shoes, as well as about $16,000 for his past vacations, which he described as “respite travel.” “The claimant fell to the floor. By reason thereof, he has suffered personal injury, loss, and damage,” the lawsuit states. “The circumstances speak for themselves.”
Vue’s attorney, David White, said the company accepts liability for the incident involving Hunefalk-Franzen. However, it strongly disputes the $17 million claim, arguing the damages were worth only around $10,000 to $16,000. White also challenged Hunefalk-Franzen’s medical history, asserting that the injuries he claims in the lawsuit predated the incident.
According to White, Hunefalk-Franzen also didn’t immediately report experiencing the symptoms he mentioned after the accident. “A review of the claimant’s pre-accident medical records […] identified a significant pre-existing history of symptoms including fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome dating back to 2008 and neck pain dating back to 2009,” the attorney said.
Meanwhile, the case remains ongoing. A trial date has yet to be set and is not expected until the end of 2027, which would be 12 years after the incident.
Published: Nov 11, 2026 10:15 am