Tyrese Gibson is suing the wife of the late R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, claiming that he owns the rights to make a movie about the legendary singer.
Tyrese says that his company locked up the exclusive rights to Pendergrass’ life story back in 2011, and that Pendergrass’ wife, Joan, was on board with the deal. He claims that Joan agreed to give him the rights to a book and movie about Pendergrass in exchange for his company investing in the projects and using his celebrity status to promote them.
Tyrese says that he and his company have since invested around $450,000 into the project, but that he has never been able to get the book or film created. He also claims that Joan is now refusing to extend the option on the rights to Pendergrass’ life story.
Tyrese’s lawyers are now saying that Voltron, his company, has suffered financial harm as a result, and he is suing Joan for at least $1 million in damages.
Pendergrass’ life was a fascinating one, and it is certainly possible that it would make for a good movie. He was one of the biggest stars in the world, but he was paralyzed after getting into a car accident in 1982.
The case is still ongoing, and it is unclear how it will be resolved. However, it is certainly worth following, as it could have implications for the way that life story rights are negotiated in the future.
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