1. Jonathan Lee Riches Sues Damn Near Everybody in Hip-Hop
Jonathan Lee Riches has the distinction (???) of holding the Guinness World Record for being the most litigious man in American history. He’s currently an inmate in a South Carolina jail, and since he was first incarcerated, he’s filed over 1,000 lawsuits against various celebrities, including many Hip-Hop luminaries. Amongst the insane — and somewhat hilarious — suits filed:
- In 2007, he sued Suge Knight, claiming that he was hanging from the same balcony as Vanilla Ice (????) — in the same lawsuit, he sued Elvis Presley for stealing his sideburns (?????).
- That same year, he sued 50 Cent, claiming that he stole his lyrics (??????) and that he forced Riches to harass 80’s pop groups Tears for Fears (“Shout”) & Bananarama (“I Heard a Rumor”) (???????).
- In his most epic lawsuit — filed March 2006 — he named a record 57 pages worth of Defendants, including The Wu-Tang Clan, for an unspecified dollar amount, for an unspecified “civil offense.” Amongst the other Defendants: George W. Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Nostradamus (!), The Lincoln Memorial (!!), various Nordic gods (!!!), and the planet Pluto (!!!!!!!!!).
Unsurprisingly, in March 2008, the Northern District of Georgia ruled that Riches would be prosecuted if he continued to file frivolous lawsuits against celebrities. Bernadette Giacomazzo would like you to follow her on Twitter at @berngiacomazzo, and while you’re at it, follow @YungFliiboy as well, or she’ll sue you.
