Queen Latifah and BET have been named defendants in a lawsuit accusing them of stealing the idea for the reality show “From the Bottom Up”.
The series, which debuted in 2016, airs on BET and is produced by Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit Entertainment production company.
According to BET’s website, “From the Bottom Up” is “a docu-series following women who have experienced complex adversity” after making “bad choices” that are now seeing them “dealing with the consequences of their actions.”
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, TV writer Latosha Lee alleges the show is a rip-off of an idea she pitched BET, which she called “Real Life Cinderellas of Atlanta”.
Lee’s show, notes the lawsuit, was to “focus on the daily lives of women who had gone through publicized scandals and were seeking redemption,” and would feature five “African-American quasi-celebrity women living in Atlanta, Georgia, who have all experienced media scandals and working toward turning their lives around.”
According to Lee’s suit, she actually assembled a cast and shot a sizzle reel, which she sent to networks, producers and reps, including BET — which, Lee claims, appeared to be interested before falling silent.
Lee says she eventually discovered “From the Bottom Up” and was shocked to see the similarity to her idea, claiming the show featured similar cast members and storylines.
Lee is demanding an injunction to halt BET and Flavor Unit from airing the show, and is also seeking all profits.
Neither BET nor Flavor Unit have yet to respond to the lawsuit.
