In 1989, after watching Schaeffer in the black comedy film Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills, in which she appeared in bed with a male actor, Bardo, out of apparent jealousy, became enraged by the scene and decided that Schaeffer should be punished for becoming "another Hollywood whore."
Bardo was tried by prosecutor Marcia Clark, who later became known for her role in the O. J. Simpson murder case.