Colin Farrell along with all struggle, success and failure has also faced some controversies. In July 2005, he sued his former girlfriend, Playboy model Nicole Narain, the Internet Commerce Group (ICG) and adult entertainment producer David Hans Schmidt over the unauthorized public distribution of a 14-minute sex tape made by Farrell and Narain in 2003. He said that the tape was strictly private and confidential and he will sue anyone and anybody who tries to distribute it publicly. But the tape had already been leaked to Schmidt and ICG who tried to release it publicly. A Los Angeles judge barred the sale, distribution, or display of the tape.
According to Nicole Narain she did not give the tape to anyone and was not sure if or how copies were taken from her. She had originally promised Farrell that she is with him in keeping the tape private, but Farrell claimed that Narain, along with Schmidt, was trying to release it in order to damage his career and "make money out of it", which Nicole denied totally. In January 2006, the tape featured on the website named dirtycolin.com. But the site was shut down that day itself because of the server overload. But it was again re-opened a week later.
The tape was then pirated through file sharing systems. The lawyers of both the stars Farrell and Narain denounced the site and the site was shut down again a few days later for unknown reasons. Farrell's legal team said it would take legal action against sites that hosted the tape. The trial date for the Narain lawsuit was set for July 17, 2006. But the judge allowed Farrell and Nicole to negotiate until 20th April and On 16th April both reached a settlement with confidential terms. But Farrell's lawsuit against ICG continued with a trial date set for July 21, 2006.
A telephone sex worker Dessarae Bradford sued Farrell twice for allegedly harassing and sending foul messages to her. But, the lawsuits were later dismissed because of lack of evidence against Farrell. Bradford had also announced once that she is "waging war on Colin Farrell". Bradford even recorded a song titled "Colin Farrell is My Bitch" and self-published a book called Colin Farrell: A Dark Twisted Puppy. Earlier Bradford had recorded a song and written a book in which she claimed to have engaged in pegging with actor Alec Baldwin. She took a lie detector test on an i TV program in an attempt to support her claims and stories but failed the test.
On 20th July 2006, when Farrell was being interviewed by Jay Leno on the sets of The Tonight Show, Bradford entered the studio, evading the security, walked on stage as cameras were rolling, confronted Farrell, and threw her book on Jay's desk. All the audience were silent and stunned. Farrell escorted her off the stage himself, told the camera crew to stop filming, and handed her over to security. As Bradford was being led out of the studio by security, she shouted "I'll see you in court." Farrell responded saying, "Darling, you're insane!" Outside the studio, NBC security handed her off to Burbank police, who released her later.
After all this scene Farrell sincerely apologized to the audience, describing Bradford as "my first stalker". The show then continued filming and the incident was edited out of the broadcast aired that night. Farrell later requested a restraining order in court against Bradford saying that Bradford "accosted me during the taping of a network television show on July 20, 2006. I am concerned that her harassing behavior has escalated and may pose an immediate threat to my well-being and the well-being of my family." The request also asked for Bradford to keep away from Farrell, his son James and James' mother, Kim Bordenave.
Other than controversies Farrell also made news by some charity or social events. In 2007, Farrell joined hands with other celebrities like Bruce Willis, Muhammad Ali, Eva Mendes, Vanessa L. Williams and Arnold Schwarzenegger to become an official games spokesman for the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China. He also made a guest appearance on the US sit-com Scrubs as Billy, a charming Irishman who accompanies a man who he knocked out in a fight to the Sacred Heart Hospital.
At the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival, Farrell made headlines by helping a local homeless man, nicknamed "Stress". Farrell took the man into his limousine, gave him money for an apartment, took him on a $3000 (CAD) clothes-shopping spree and advised him to change his life by quitting alcohol.
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