Financial woes aside, Damon Dash has never been one to shy away from collecting money he is due. The Roc-a-fella Records founder’s $25M lawsuit against director Lee Daniels is moving forward.
Dash alleges that Daniels never repaid his $2M investment in The Woodsman, which starred Kevin Bacon. New details have emerged about the lawsuit that contends that the Harlem native actively helped promote the film, but was met with the okee doke when it came time for Daniels to return those funds, with interest.
Reports The Hollywood Reporter:
Dash’s lawsuit confirms reports that the dispute dates back to $2 million allegedly given by the hip hop mogul so that Daniels could produce The Woodsman, which starred Kevin Bacon as a convicted child molester adjusting to life after prison.
Through a mutual acquaintance — publicist Marvette Britto — Dash says he was introduced to Daniels. In return for $2 million, Dash says he got a written agreement that gave him executive producer credits, 50 percent of rights on the film, and a guarantee that the investment would be repaid with interest from Daniels.
Dash says he attempted to ensure the film’s success by traveling around the country to promote The Woodsman, and bringing along celebrities like Kanye West to perform at venues where the film’s ads would run. The movie came out in 2005, and afterwards, Dash says he didn’t get a response to his request for an accounting.
Instead of repayment, Dash says he got another offer from Lee.
This is where the struggle really commences.
Dash claims to have agreed to reinvest the $2M into another film, but was told to fall back on helping to promote it. When said film, Shadowboxer, didn’t do well, Daniels’ agent allegedly brokered a deal where Dash was promised executive producer credits on any Daniels projects until the $2M, and interest, debt was paid.
Daniels’ camp is denying these claims.
The plaintiff asserts that because the debt is still outstanding, that films such as Precious,The Paperboy and The Butler are covered under the terms of the agreement. Plus, the obligations are allegedly ongoing. One project mentioned is a television show titled Empirefrom Lee and Brian Grazer that’s said to be slated to air on Fox in late 2014 or earlier 2015.
Daniels’ legal team responds, ““Regrettably, it’s easy to make allegations. Proving the allegations is a different story, and the precise reason why the judicial system exists. Mr. Daniels looks forward to the Court’s scrutiny of the merits of Mr. Dash’s misguided claims.”
Expect this case to play out for a long while.
Check out the full complaint over at The Hollywood Reporter.
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