LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 21: Nicci Gilbert speaks onstage at the BETHer Awards, presented by Bumble, at The Conga Room at L.A. Live on June 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for BET)
While we’ve been patiently waiting for Mercedes, Miss Mississippi, Uncle Clifford, and the rest of the cast of “P-Valley” to return to our TV screens, it looks like viewers aren’t the only ones who have paid attention to the Starz series. Legal representatives have also taken notice of the show, and in a new lawsuit against Lionsgate Entertainment Corp. and Starz, reality TV star and singer Nicci Gilbert is calling out the show’s creator for similarities.
According to Yahoo News, Nicci, the plaintiff, alleges the show, which debuted in July 2020, has several notable similarities to her musical stage play, “Soul Kittens Cabaret” (SKC), starring Nicci, Faith Evans, and Fantasia was released on DVD in 2011. Reports state the lawsuit alleges the series is a “veritable unauthorized 2020 knock-off of Plaintiff’s ‘Soul Kittens Cabaret.” In addition, she claims that the defendants “knowingly and illegally used her works to create the ‘P-Valley’ television series.
If you’re not familiar with ‘P-Valley,’ it is based on Katori Hall’s 2015 play, “P***y Valley.” Nicci, who produced the reality shows “R&B Divas” and “From The Bottom Up,” alleges her entertainment attorney Leroy Bobbit pitched “Soul Kittens Cabaret” on her behalf as a musical TV drama to Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer at his Los Angeles office in 2014. The lawsuit also states Jon received two copies of her script and the play on DVD.
The suit further explained, “During the Lionsgate SKC Pitch, Feltheimer expressed enthusiasm and interest in scripting ‘SKC’ as a musical drama series for Lionsgate and even stated that he loved the character named ‘Tata Burlesque.'” It continued, “Feltheimer further explained that he enjoyed reading scripts and would read the script over the weekend, share it with the Lionsgate team, and follow up with Bobbit.”
Unfortunately, reports state Nikki never heard from Jon or Lionsgate. While it’s unclear Katori’s position on the lawsuit, Nikki is seeking actual and statutory damages, as well as a jury trial in the civil suit. Roomies, do you think there are similarities in the plays?
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