Earlier this year, Marvin Gaye III and his family won over $7 million in a lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams in a copyright infringement case surrounding their single, "Blurred Lines." He's now back with a new one, this time against 'Empire' creator Lee Daniels and the FOX network.
According to TMZ, Gaye III claims the plot of Empire was his idea — he says he filed a treatment for a show called Diamonds & Ballads or Those Sons of Riches! through the Writers Guild of America in 2010. Gaye claims his plot centers around “a music based ‘black’ and ‘hip’ version of ‘Dynasty’–with a little Sopranos,” and is loosely based around the family of Motown founder Berry Gordy. His treatment was turned down by many TV executives, and Gaye thinks his treatment may have gotten around to Daniels who took and ran with it.
TMZ reports that Gaye heard Daniels say in various interviews where Lee referenced his inspiration for Empire wanting to make a black Dynasty and a show similar to the Sopranos, allegedly directly referencing Gaye's inspiration.
Ok! Marvin Gaye III gets a major side eye now…