Today in motorcycle history, October 14, 1977
Evel Knievel pleads guilty to beating the crap out of Shelley Saltman.
While recuperating from his crash at the Chicago International Amphitheatre (jumping a 90' shark tank) the book Evel Knievel on Tour was released, written by Evel's promoter for the Snake River Canyon jump, Fox VP Shelly Saltman. The book paints an unflattering picture of Knievel's character, portraying him as abusive to his wife and kids and also as a heavy drug user. Evel freaks out. With both arms still in casts, he flies to California to confront Saltman. Outside of the 20th Century Fox studio commissary, one of Knievel's friends allegedly grabbed Saltman and held him, while Knievel attacked him with an aluminum baseball bat, screaming, "I'm going to kill you!" According to a witness to the attack, Evel starting swinging, connecting repeatedly with Shelley's head. While attempting to fend off his attacker Saltman's arm and wrist were shattered in several places before he finally fell to the ground like a wet sack of potato's (it would take numerous surgeries and permanent metal plates in his arm to eventually give Saltman back the use of his arm). The book was pulled from the shelves by the publisher after Evel threatened to sue. Saltman later produced documents in both criminal and civil court that proved that, although Knievel claimed to have been insulted by statements in his book, Shelley and his lawyers had actually been given editorial access to the book and Knievel had approved and signed off on every word prior to its publication.
On October 14, 1977, Evel Knievel pleaded guilty to battery and was sentenced to three years' probation and six months in county jail, during which he publicly flaunted his brief incarceration for the press.
Because of the assault and the jail-time that followed, Knievel lost most of his marketing endorsements, including Harley-Davidson and Ideal Toys.
In 1981, a civil lawsuit was filed; the civil court judge called Knievel’s acts “cowardly” and awarded Shelley Saltman $12.75 million in damages. Knievel declared himself to be bankrupt and none of the civil award was paid. In 2007, Saltman released a second book entitled Fear No Evel: An Insider's Look at Hollywood in which he told his side of the attack.
Then after Evel Knievel's death in late 2007, Saltman announced he would be suing the estate for the unpaid award from the civil suit, which he claims now amounts to over $100 million with interest.
