*Earlier we reported that Gabrielle Union has filed a multimillion-dollar breach of contract lawsuit against BET over her “Being Mary Jane” contract. Now the network is responding. And it appears they aren’t backing down.
“While we hold Gabrielle Union in the highest esteem, we feel strongly that we are contractually well within our rights and are committed to reaching a swift and positive resolution in this matter,” a BET Network said in a statement this morning.
According to sources close to the case, BET plans to respond fairly quickly in the courts as well to the complaint from Union and her attorney Marty Singer seeking $3 million.
As Deadline notes, the core allegation in Union’s suit is that BET played a multi-season contractual shell game with her. Apparently, the two sides first agreed she would have a significant break between the 10-episode fourth and fifth seasons of the drama. Then, according to Union’s camp, BET and Being Mary Jane producers threw that deal aside so production could to run back-to-back and costs cut. Added drama: The suit comes as production on Season 4 has already started.
Earlier we reported …
*Things are not going smoothly between BET and one of its biggest stars.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, “Being Mary Jane” star Gabrielle Union is accusing the network of using trickery to try and squeeze out more episodes per season than her contract allows.
According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Union claims BET agreed it would never produce more than 13 episodes per season, but is now trying to tape two 10-episode seasons back-to-back to “cram all of the episodes into a single season in order to fraudulently extend the term of Ms. Union’s contract.”
Union’s attorney Martin Singer claims the network is combining seasons four and five to avoid paying his client’s contractual raise and to extend its option to engage her services for another year. Under her contract, Union is set to receive $150,000 per episode for season four and $165,000 per episode for season five.
The actress is suing the network and Breakdown Productions for breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation.
According to THR, Union was content with her film career and hesitant to commit to a TV series when BET first approached her to star in “Being Mary Jane.” BET’s then-general counsel Darrell Walker assured Union’s reps that she wouldn’t be required to appear in more than 13 episodes per season — but a corporate policy required her performer agreement to include a provision allowing for a minimum of 10 episodes and a maximum of 26.
To read/learn MORE on the lawsuit, click HERE.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
