In 1988, Marquette filed a $2 million lawsuit against Warner Brothers in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleging that the Clint Eastwood film Bird portrayed him (via actor Tony Cox) in an unflattering and demeaning manner. "It's a shame what they did," he said.
Marquette sued Warner Bros. in 1988 for portraying him negatively in the movie Bird, which was based on his life. He felt the portrayal was unfair and demeaning.