Indiana- “Blade” star Wesley Snipes has been cleared of claims that he fathered a child by an Indiana woman, his attorney said yesterday.
The city is expected to announce at a Family Court hearing today that it’s withdrawing an arrest warrant for the married, 43-year-old father that would have forced him to submit to a DNA test.
DNA tests conducted earlier this month show that another man is the father of the 4-year-old boy, said Snipes attorney Robert Bernhoft.
Snipes repeatedly denied he was the father – but refused on principle to submit to a DNA test.
The city jumped into the case last year on behalf of an Indiana Child Support Enforcement agency, which was pursuing claims made by Lanise Pettis, 33.
Snipes dismissed Pettis as a “mentally ill crack addict” and said his reputation among friends and business associates was damaged by the claim.
The actor said Pettis made similar accusations against other celebrities and became delusional after watching him in “Blade.”
A federal civil rights suit Snipes filed last year in Manhattan against the Indiana agency is pending.
A spokeswoman for the city’s corporation counsel declined to comment yesterday.
“This was a horrifying breach of duty to entertain Lanise Pettis’ delusions,” Bernhoft said. “[Snipes] believes he finally got a fair shake. He’s been waiting for this day to come.”
Snipes is expected to appear at today’s hearing.
