An arbitrator bought Jeremy Piven’s fish tale hook, line and sinker.
The seafood-loving “Entourage” star, who quit the Broadway hit “Speed-the-Plow” pleading mercury poisoning from too much sushi, yesterday won a ruling that he had not breached his contract with the play’s producers.
The decision — which guts any chance of producers recovering monetary damages from Piven — comes nearly nine months after he abruptly bowed out of the revival of the David Mamet play.
“I’m pleased with the outcome of the arbitration and to be completely vin dicated in this matter based on the facts and the medical evidence,” said Piven, best known for his portrayal of hy per-aggressive Holly wood agent Ari Gold in the HBO series “Entourage.”
In a prepared state ment, “Speed-the- Plow” producers said, “While we re spect the decision, we strongly disagree with it.
“We remain eter nally grateful to ev eryone who helped make the wonderful production of ‘Speed- the-Plow’ possible, es pecially the artists who created it, and the many who had to deal with very difficult and trying circumstances.”
One irate producer added to The Post, “I want my money back!”
Piven, 44, sped away from “Speed-the-Plow” in December — 11 weeks before the show was scheduled to close — saying he was exhausted.
Although he blamed high levels of mercury, skeptics suggested his penchant for staying out late at night in Big Apple more likely caused his fatigue.
His departure tanked ticket sales and left angry producers scrambling for a replacement.
Mamet quipped at the time, “My understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer.”
Piven called that “a very funny line” — but he ended up having the last laugh.
The show’s producers had lodged charges with the Actors’ Equity union. When a panel of union officials and Broadway League members failed to reach a unanimous verdict, the case was kicked to an arbitrator.
The actor’s spokeswoman said, “The arbitrator accepted the medical testimony of Piven’s doctors while rejecting the testimony of the producers’ doctors, who never examined Piven despite having opportunities to do so before, during and after his three-day hospitalization.”