Real Brockovich Mad at Mold

April 16 -- Erin Brockovich is taking on a new enemy: household mold. The celebrated legal investigator, portrayed by Julia Roberts in the Oscar-winning pic of the same name, is filing suit against the former owner and builder of her house, after discovering that her "dream home" is filled with water-generated spores.

USA Today reports that Brockovich's husband, actor Eric Ellis, and her 10-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, have suffered respiratory problems due to the mold growing in the walls of her 6,000-square-foot residence.

The feisty Brockovich, who says she purchased her Agoura Hills, Calif., home with money she earned from her now-famous Pacific Gas & Electric victory, claims she is spending more than $500,000 to rebuild the structure. She has already testified in California state court, urging lawmakers to form legislature addressing household mold, which she calls a "silent killer."

Brockovich's home was sold by Robert Selleck, brother of actor Tom Selleck. His attorney told USA Today, "There was absolutely nothing wrong with the house when Robert Selleck sold it. … I think this mold nonsense is just that — nonsense."

Earlier this month, an attorney representing Brockovich's ex-husband was convicted of attempted extortion in a plot that also involved her ex-boyfriend (who was portrayed as a biker with a heart of gold in the movie).