Burt Reynolds sues ex-girlfriend

Reynolds was one of the biggest screen idols of the 1970s and 80s

Burt Reynolds is suing a former girlfriend, claiming she was trying to extort millions of dollars from him.

The 68-year-old actor alleges Pamela Seals threatened to falsely accuse him of abuse if he did not agree to pay her large sums of money.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Florida, is seeking unspecified damages and for a court to stop Ms Seals from suing Mr Reynolds in California.

Ms Seals' lawyer, Mark Maynor, said he had no immediate comment.

'Exorbitant' demands

The lawsuit claims Ms Seals falsely accused Mr Reynolds of shouting at her and stamping on her toes.

Ms Seals - who was Mr Reynolds' partner of 10 years - allegedly told the actor she would make her claims public if he did not agree to provide financial support for herself and her mother.

Mr Reynolds' lawyer, Bob Montgomery, said Ms Seals' had refused an offer by the actor to settle the matter for $1m (£540,000).

"She wanted more and more and her demands were absolutely exorbitant," Mr Montgomery said.

In a statement, Mr Reynolds described the situation as "unfortunate" but would not be "intimidated by false accusations".

Mr Reynolds, who rose to fame in on television in the 1960s, and is well known for his work in films such as Smokey and the Bandit, Deliverance, and, more recently, Boogie Nights.