Chris Pine Avoids Trial in Court War With Neighbor After They Reach Deal Over Actor’s Trees

Chris Pine and the neighbor he’s been feuding with for months informed the court they worked out a deal only days before the trial, In Touch can exclusively report.

According to court documents obtained by In Touch, lawyers for Chris, 44, and his neighbor, Helen Yu, told the judge presiding over the case they had “resolved this matter in principle.”

The parties will now have to finalize a settlement agreement and present it to the court. The judge did not vacate the trial set for November 18. The court set a hearing for a couple of days before to confirm a settlement was executed and a trial is no longer needed.

As In Touch previously reported, Helen, a well-known entertainment lawyer, sued Chris and co-defendant, Bradley Lyon, for trespass, nuisance and negligence in 2023.

Helen owns a home in Los Angeles and shares a boundary with Chris’ three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,205 square-foot home. Chris purchased the home in 2010.

In her lawsuit, Helen claimed the actor planted numerous Ficus Benjamina trees which are “known to have extremely invasive root systems.” She said the trees had caused substantial damage to her home.

Helen’s lawyer argued, “Through action or inaction, [Chris has] unreasonably, negligently, or intentionally caused or allowed the root systems of [his trees] which were planted on the boundary line between the properties and encroach upon [Helen’s home], causing substantial and ongoing damage to the [Helen’s home], including cracking of walls and substantial damages to the plumbing and pipes, pool, pool deck, and other areas of in or around [Helen’s home], creating an unreasonably unsafe condition, and interfering with [Helen’s] use and enjoyment of [her] property.”

Helen’s lawsuit demanded unspecified damages from Chris.

Chris fired back by denying all allegations of wrongdoing and then filing a countersuit against Helen. He claimed that Helen put up a fence that was installed on his property line. His suit demanded Helen be forced to push the fence back. Helen denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

“The hardship that [Helen] would suffer if forced to removed improvements from the disputed property would be greatly disproportionate to any hardship that [Chris] would suffer if the improvements are permitted to remain,” Helen’s attorney said.

The case turned ugly quick.

As In Touch first reported, Helen recently accused Chris of using excuses to delay being deposed. Helen said that Chris’ lawyers told her in July that the actor would be busy filming a movie and on vacation out of the country until October. Helen said she tried to schedule his deposition for October 2 but still got push back from Chris’ team.

“Either [Chris] does not want to be deposed, or his counsel is attempting to get around the trial court’s ruling denying his most recent application to continue the trial by refusing to cooperate in scheduling [Chris’] deposition and enabling discovery to be completed,” Helen’s lawyer argued.

The judge ended up ordering Chris to be deposed by the end of the month. Prior to the recent deal being worked out to resolve the case, Helen also demanded Chris show up to the trial personally.

The parties have yet to submit an executed settlement agreement.