Oprah Winfrey is being sued by a nuclear physicist.
Charles D. Goodman, an 86-year-old scientist, has filed a lawsuit in San Miguel County District Court against the media mogul, arguing that a plot of land she purchased near Telluride, south-west Colorado, denies people access to public trails.
Oprah, 60, bought the 66 acres of land in Mountain Village - which was originally owned by the U.S Forest Service - for $10.85 million in March this year.
Since then, Mr. Goodman argues that Oprah's company have ignored the Forest Service's clause that public access must be included in all trades of the land and access to the trails is no longer available to Goodman and his family and other residents, access they have enjoyed for almost 30 years.
Goodman told The Denver Post newspaper: "I don't care if Oprah is a neighbour, but if she is going to cut off access to trails, I don't find that acceptable."
Speaking to TMZ, he stated: "I have no objection to Oprah to building a house. But I do not like the idea of being blocked off by gates and fences."
A representative for Oprah - who also owns expansive properties in California, New Jersey, Chicago, Florida, Hawaii and Antigua - has since released a statement saying that she hopes they can reach an amicable conclusion.
Wendy Luckenbill, who works for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and Oprah's company Yellow Brick Road, said: "Yellow Brick Road CO LLC will continue to work with the residents of the Ski Ranches HOA to enable them to have reasonable access over portions of the company's recently acquired property for recreational trail use. It is our hope that we can work together on a usage plan that is mutually agreeable."
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