Tyler Perry Sued: Writer Claims 'Temptation' a Rip-Off of His Script (VIDEO)
Tyler Perry is being sued by a plaintiff who claims that Perry's 2013 film "Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor" is a rip-off of his very own 2009 screenplay entitled "Lovers Kill."
William James, a writer from Gary, Indiana, has filed the lawsuit against Perry on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Indiana.
The lawsuit claims that Perry's film basically copies James' script, which involves a marriage that is left in tatters after the wife has an affair.
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Perry meanwhile has previously indicated that his film was based on a 2008 stage play called "The Marriage Counselor" that was in fact written by Perry himself. If that claim is proven true then it would nullify the lawsuit based on the chronological order of the various projects alone. However, William James is undeterred and believes the court will side with him against Perry.
James asserts that he created his script and pushed it around through various channels – one of which he was hoping would land it on Perry's desk. However, it is unclear whether Perry ever say the script or not, and that could be a pivotal part of the lawsuit if it progresses to a day in court.
James' lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, as well as an edit to Temptation's opening, as well as the closing credits. He is asking the court to order Perry to include a reference in the film that would state: Based on the Novel 'Lovers Kill' by William James."
Principal photography commenced on Oct. 26, 2011 in Atlanta at Tyler Perry Studios.
Tyler Perry, Ozzie Areu and Paul Hall produced the film. The film was originally scheduled for release in 2012, but was pushed back for a March 2013 release.
According to Perry's Twitter posts, he considers Temptation to be his most powerful film to date.
Here is a video of the trailer for Temptation:
