Tyrese Gibson, best known for his role in the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise, finds himself in the midst of a legal battle once again. This time, it’s not with a hardware store, but rather over the rights to late singer Teddy Pendergrass’s biopic. Gibson’s production company, Voltron Entertainment, has filed a lawsuit against Teddy’s widow, Joan Pendergrass, alleging a breach of agreement.
Key Takeaway
Tyrese Gibson’s production company, Voltron Entertainment, has filed a lawsuit against Teddy Pendergrass’s widow, Joan Pendergrass, over the rights to the late singer’s biopic. Gibson claims that his company had obtained exclusive rights to Teddy’s life story in 2011, but Joan abruptly denied an extension on those rights in 2022. The lawsuit seeks damages of at least
million for the financial harm caused to Voltron Entertainment.
Background on the Dispute
In recently obtained court documents, it is revealed that Tyrese Gibson and Voltron Entertainment secured exclusive rights to Teddy Pendergrass’s life story as far back as 2011, with the approval of Joan Pendergrass. The agreement between the parties entailed Voltron investing in the projects related to Teddy’s legacy, including a book and a movie, while leveraging Gibson’s celebrity status to promote them.
Over the past decade, Gibson claims that he and his company have invested nearly $450,000 into the development of the biopic. However, in an unexpected turn of events in 2022, Joan Pendergrass reportedly denied Voltron Entertainment an extension on the rights to Teddy’s life story, causing financial harm to the production company.
The Lawsuit
As a result of Joan’s refusal to extend the option, Tyrese Gibson is taking legal action against her individually and as the executor of Teddy Pendergrass’s estate. The lawsuit seeks damages of at least $1 million, alleging that Joan’s actions have caused financial harm to Voltron Entertainment.
At this stage, Joan Pendergrass has not responded to the claims made in the lawsuit.
