Lee Daniels Ordered To Pay $1.7 Mil To Dame Dash In Biopic Settlement

BY Erika Marie 9.0K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Frank Micelotta/Getty Images, Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
Dame Dash, Lee Daniels
Can we get the Richard Pryor biopic, though?

Investing in projects that he believes will make him a healthy profit is something that Dame Dash knows how to do, and he does it well. When Lee Daniels and Dame had a conversation about working together on a Richard Pryor biopic, it seemed as if it was a match made in heaven. Dame reportedly gave the Empire creator nearly two million dollars to fund the project but in the end, things just didn't come together as expected. 

Dame anticipated seeing the return on his money as soon as possible but that didn't occur. The former Roc-a-Fella Records CEO sued Daniels for $5 million and in the suit, Dame declared that Daniels didn't share details of the project's development as their contract stated he should have. The 2018 suit was quickly settled with the details of the case being held as confidential.

However, The Blast reports that they have details of the settlement as stated by the court documents. Daniels was ordered to pay Dame $1,782,500 in total from November 2018 to January 2021. Per their agreement, Dame cannot speak negatively about Daniels in the public and Dame was required to remove any disparaging social media posts about the producer. This included the viral video of Dame confronting Daniels about his debt when he ran into him at a concert.

Meanwhile, the rumors of a Richard Pryor biopic have been circulating for years. There were murmurs that Nick Cannon or Mike Epps could portray the iconic comedian and the gossip mill even said that Jay Z was somehow involved in the production. Pryor is certainly deserving of biopic attention, but who knows if this will ever come to fruition.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.