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

Can we get the Richard Pryor biopic, though?

BYErika Marie
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Frank Micelotta/Getty Images, Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

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.


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About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.