Cage's Manager Countersues

It's been a tough week for Nicolas Cage. First, the bank foreclosed on two of his houses in New Orleans, and now his former business manager, whom Cage sued for fraud in October, has filed a countersuit. Ex-manager Samuel J. Levin claims that Cage's tough financial situation—he currently owes the IRS $6.6 million—is the result of the actor's own profligacy. Levin apparently gave Cage common-sense advice, like not to buy castles in both England and Bavaria, the suit claims, but Cage ignored him. Levin also says that he told Cage that he needed to earn $30 million per year to maintain his lifestyle. According to the lawsuit, Cage's spending spiraled out of control in 2007, when he spent $33 million on three houses, bought 22 cars, including 9 Rolls-Royces, and acquired 47 works of art. By 2008, the actor owned 15 houses, four yachts, a Gulfstream jet, and an island in the Bahamas.