In 2016, former N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller passed away, but the lawsuit he filed against Universal Pictures, the studio that brought the group's biographical Straight Outta Compton film to life, continued on. Now, the suit has been dismissed by a judge in California with a lack of proof on Heller's side being cited as the primary reasoning.
A year before his death, Heller sued Universal for $110 million, claiming copyright infringement for the use of his name and likeness without permission, alleging that his portrayal, performed by Paul Giamatti, painted the role of a "bad guy" who "took advanage" of N.W.A. He went on to allege that portions of the film were pulled from his own Ruthless: A Memoir book.
In September 2016, Heller's estate took on the case after he died in a car accident that resulted from a medical emergency, but Friday distric judge Michael Fitzgeral tossed the case, saying that the estate failed to provide evidence that substantiated the claims.
"Plaintiff fails to allege sufficient facts to establish that Heller is a co-author of the Screenplay and the allegations establish that Universal was licensed to use the Screenplay,” Judge Michael Fitzgerald wrote. “As the parties previously agreed, the Motion is granted without leave to amend. The action is, at last, DISMISSED.”
In 2016, Heller's lawyer Mickey Shapiro asserted that the stress of his negative depiction in Straight Outta Compton led to the heart attack that caused Heller's ultiamte death.
