A lawsuit filed in
the Los Angeles Superior Court on Oct. 11 accuses Damon Dash of allegedly stealing
the premise for the hit Hip-Hop reality series “Ultimate Hustler”
from two Los Angeles producers.
The plaintiff’s, John Coleman and John Rhodes, filed the
complaint seeking monetary damages from Dash for Breach of Implied In-Fact contract
and Breach of Confidence.
The lawsuit stems from allegations that Dash stole the premise
for “Ultimate Hustler” from the plaintiff’s reality TV show
pitch entitled “Mogul,” which they registered with the Writers Guild
of America in Los Angeles in Feb. 2004.
The concept of “Mogul” puts contestants competing
against each other in a high paced Hip-Hop environment for the ultimate prize
of a top ranking executive position at a record label or artist management company.
According to the court documents, the plaintiffs considered
Dash as a potential host for “Mogul” and representatives subsequently
met with Dash in March 2004 to pitch the idea.
The plaintiffs also allege that the former Roc-A-Fella CEO was
interested in "Mogul," but stated it needed further development.
The plaintiffs agreed, but claim they instructed Dash to keep
the concept of “Mogul” confidential, which he agreed to do.
The plaintiff’s attorneys contend that Dash breached their
implied contract by airing the first season of "Ultimate Hustler"
without compensating and obtaining their clients permission.
"Ultimate Hustler" puts 16 hopeful entrepreneurs through
a series of business challenges to determine who has the best combination of
business skills and street savvy.
The winner receives a position within the Damon Dash Empire,
as well as, a 2006 Jeep Commander.
The lawsuit seeks a judgment against the Dash for general damages,
special damages, punitive damages and damages for loss of past, present and
future economic losses.
In addition to Dash, BET, Damon Dash Music Group. Dash Films
and Huck Films have all been named in the lawsuit. Click to view the first five
pages of the lawsuit.
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