'Mixed-ish' creators sued for allegedly stealing concept https://t.co/Y74jpKrQR5 pic.twitter.com/AVZBnhvUcY
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 25, 2020
Actress Hayley Marie Norman is suing ABC, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kenya Barris and others claiming they appropriated a show she'd been pitching and turned it into Black-ish spinoff Mixed-ish.
Norman says in october 2017 she signed a deal with Big Breakfast to write, be an executive producer and star in the series. That company shares a parent with Artists First, a production and management company that has Barris and Ross as its clients. She alleges that Ross and her manager Brian Dobbins were involved in the development of the series and even pitched it to Barris but he wasn't interested.
"The premise is identical, its portrayal is identical, its setting is identical, and its tone is identical," writes attorney Michael Plonsker in the complaint. "Moreover, literally everyone involved in the 'creative' and 'production' aspect of 'Mixed-ish' was either directly or indirectly involved with Norman and the development of Norman’s Series — from Big Breakfast and Ross to Artists First and Dobbins, to Barris who ostensibly passed on Norman’s Series after being presented with it, and to ABC, which knowingly proceeded with airing a series it knew was the result of a theft and rip off perpetrated by the above-mentioned parties."
Her claims include breach of contract, breach of confidence, intentional misrepresentation and intentional interference with contract. She's seeking compensatory and punitive damages and restitution of the money defendants have made in connection with the series.
Reps for Barris, Ross, Dobbins and ABC have not yet responded to a request for comment.
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