Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Culture
CultureEntertainment

Dr. Dre Threatens to Sue Sony if Michel’le’s Biopic Depicting Abuse Airs

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: | Updated on June 20, 2018 CommentsComments (0)
Dr. Dre (Wikipedia)

Dr. Dre (Wikipedia)

Rapper Dr. Dre could take Sony Pictures to court over an upcoming Lifetime movie based on his sordid relationship with an ex-girlfriend.

According to TMZ, Dre threatened to sue the entertainment company if Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel’le aires this week.

The movie follows R&B singer-songwriter Michel’le as she navigates the “dark side” of Compton, California. After becoming the first female artist signed to Ruthless Records, Michel’le and Dre had a decade-long romance. The relationship reportedly turned abusive – and that is what’s shown in the TV film.

TMZ said the portrayal depicts Dre violently confronting Michel’le by beating her in the face, pulling her hair and wielding a gun toward her.

And in a trailer, the MC is shown grabbing her neck and threatening to beat her.

Because of the depiction, Dre sent the studio a letter refuting his ex’s claims of assault. It stated Michele’le never received medical treatment for injuries nor did she send a report to authorities.

Still, Michele’le has talked about her abuse in the past. She told The Breakfast Club last year her hip-hop ex caused her severe damage. Her wounds included a broken nose from a close-fisted punch.

“I had five black eyes, I had a cracked ribs,” she said. “I have scars that are just amazing.”

Although critics slammed Dr. Dre for omitting the alleged abuse on exes in Straight Outta Compton, he apologized to “the women I’ve hurt” in a New York Times piece.

“Twenty-five years ago I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life. However, none of this is an excuse for what I did,” he wrote.

However, the music producer provided a statement from his lawyer which is tacked on to Surviving Compton’s credits. It disputes Dre ever abused the singer and “challenges her credibility.”

“If he would like to take me to court and sue me, then we should both do our depositions so we can get the story right,” Michele’le told The Huffington Post of Dre’s statement. “And I have witnesses, so I don’t think people are gonna get up there and say,’No we didn’t see anything.’ ”

Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel’le premieres on Lifetime Oct. 15.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top