https://www.instagram.com/p/BkftOQ-gAUT/?utm_source=ig_embed
Dame Dash effectively skewered producer Lee Daniels on Instagram Tuesday and now the Roc-a-Fella records co-founder is hitting the “Empire” creator with a $5 million lawsuit.
In a bulky post made June 26, Dash said he “straight up loaned” Daniels — whose IG handle is @theoriginalbigdaddy — $2 million back in the day to pay for him to become a director by using the money he had on tap to pay for his own movies and “stay indie.”
“He promised I get my money back in months…then he makes [2009’s] ‘Precious’ and goes missing so he doesn’t have to pay me…then ‘The Butler’… ‘Empire’…same s—,” Dame wrote. “Why does this dude feel like he doesn’t have to pay me?…why do I have to look crazy to get my money back…or go to court…ask @theoriginalbigdaddy why he doesn’t feel like he has to pay me even though he has it…what type of s— is this…? #paywhatyouowe. I’m going to put this whole thing on my IG tv in a few… true definition of a culture vulture.”
In the accompanying clip, Dash confronts Daniels at a Diana Ross concert at the Hollywood Bowl June 16 demanding to know what the game plan is for getting his money back. He threatens to sue the director and vows to go public with the filing when he does.
“As a Black man, I gave you the money that you needed, so how you not gonna give me my money?” Dash asks angrily. “How? $2 million dollars, bro! That’s like working capital. … You didn’t invite me to ‘Precious’ or any of that s—! Tell all these people how you wrong me!”
Dash continues to demand answers as Daniels promises he’ll give him his money. The producer also tries to get Dash to set up a phone call to discuss the issue later.
And now, Deadline has obtained the legal documents to back up Dash’s promise to sue Daniels. And the document reveals the two were supposed to collaborate on an ultimately failed Richard Pryor biopic.
“Plaintiff is entitled to a judgment, directing Defendants Lee and Lee Daniels Entertainment to pay to Plaintiff monetary damages in amount to be determined at trial, but estimated at no less than Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00), and issue any Producer credits and ownership rights to Plaintiff to which he may have heretofore been entitled,” the multi-claim complaint filed Tuesday in New York Supreme Court reads.
“In sum and substance, in March 2015, after lengthy settlement negotiations, Plaintiff and Defendants entered into a confidential, global settlement of all claims related to the Dash v. Daniels, et al. litigation, which was memorialized in writing and signed by all parties in April 2015,” the document filed by Dash’s lawyer, Natraj Bhushan, continues. “This writing, known among the parties as the Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release (the ‘Settlement Agreement’), resulted in the discontinuance with prejudice of the Dash v. Daniels, et al. litigation.”
As for the Pryor film, which Daniels was set to direct, the document said a deal was struck for Dash to be given a co-executive producer credit and “five percent (5%) on all amounts that Mr. Daniels actually receives from his backend participation.”
A source told Deadline that Daniels plans to meet with his legal team to prepare a countersuit.
However, this is not the first time Dash has taken Daniels to court over owed funds. In 2015, Dash sued Daniels for $25 million over the estimated $2 million he loaned the “Star” executive producer years earlier.
Meanwhile, Twitter users have been having a field day with the confrontation.
“Dame Dash really walked up to Lee Daniels in the good seat section at the Hollywood Bowl in the middle of a Diana Ross concert with Diana Ross actually on stage and was like WHERE THE F— MY MONEY AT, LIL N—A.”
“Dame Dash pulled up on Lee Daniels like JG Wentworth. ‘It’s my money and I need it now.'”
Dame Dash had Lee Daniels looking like pic.twitter.com/AObS2ezcyJ
— 🏁Noel Sevens🏁 (@hiphophead210) June 26, 2018
