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Dr Dre, Ice Cube sued for defamation

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Press Trust of India Los Angeles
Rappers Dr Dre and Ice Cube have been sued by former NWA(Niggaz Wit Attitudes) manager Jerry Heller for defamation over his portrayal in "Straight Outta Compton".

Heller's lawsuit, which names Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E's widow Tomica Woods-Wright, director F Gary Gray, and Universal Studios, among others, also alleges trade libel, misappropriation of likeness, intentional and negligent interference with a prospective economic advantage, breach of contract, and copyright infringement, reported Entertainment Weekly.

"The insidiousness of Defendants' behaviour is underscored by the fact that the Film may well become the largest globally grossing music-story based film ever," the lawsuit read.

"The larger the success of the film, the greater the damages to (Heller), who has been and continues to be defamed, ridiculed, and robbed of his personal and financial rights to the extent that the intentional and egregious behaviour of Defendants demands the imposing of punitive damages," it added.
 

Heller's lawyer, Michael R Shapiro, said actor Paul Giamatti's portrayal of the NWA music manager is damaging his reputation.

In the suit, Heller takes issue with his portrayal as a "greedy, selfish personal manager that took advantage of the members of the group".

The movie was one of the biggest box office surprises of the year. The R-rated biopic held the top position for three weeks and made over USD 160 million in the US alone.

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First Published: Oct 31 2015 | 3:32 PM IST

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