Berry Gordy is taking this issue to court.
The Motown Founder has reportedly filed a lawsuit for $10 million over a movie that depicts him in a horrible light. Gordy is suing Timothy Bogart and Hero Entertainment and Universal City Entertainment Group over the film Spinning Gold.
The film focuses on Timothy’s father, the late Neil Bogart, and his record label, Casablanca Records Timothy claims that “every bit of it is true, even the parts that aren’t.” However, Gordy went on to say that the film creates a false narrative about him.
The lawsuit states, “The film created a made-up storyline in which Gordy is wrongfully and dishonestly portrayed as a thug and a mobster who goes so far as to order a murder for hire. The picture is unlikely to be a commercial or artistic success. However, the picture does succeed in defaming and otherwise causing great damage to Gordy.”
Berry Gordy points out that in one part of the film, it displays that he put a hit out on Neil Bogart. “Purportedly because Casablanca Records lured the Isley Brothers and Gladys Knight away from Motown to join the anemic rosters of artists at Casablanca.”
The lawsuit goes on to say, “None of this is true and Gordy is not, and has never, associated with criminals or criminal behavior, and there certainly was never any solicitation of murder by, or on the part of Gordy.”
It continues, “The negative portrayals of Gordy and the insertion of the scene concerning Plaintiff “putting out a hit” is a vile, reckless, and baseless character assassination in the desperate attempt to create drama where non exists in a lackluster Picture. This wrongful and illegal content in the Picture has caused severe damage to Gordy and to Gordy’s reputation.”
Gordy’s lawsuit also cites defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. What are your thoughts on this?