Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent, has filed a lawsuit against Ryan Kavanaugh‘s GenTV looking to block the streaming platform’s inaugural film Skillhouse.
Jackson, in a lawsuit filed in California federal court on Thursday, accuses Kavanaugh of failing to pay him and illegally exploiting his name to promote the horror movie, the first in a series of influencer-driven films the company plans to release. He alleges trademark infringement, false advertising and unfair competition, seeking at least $5 million.
Kavanaugh was once one of the most prolific behind-the-scenes financiers of films (The Social Network, Step Brothers and Mama Mia!) through Relativity Media, which sputtered into bankruptcy in 2015. He’s seen his share of legal troubles, including settled fights with Sony Music and Timbaland, and is staging something of a comeback. He announced last year the launch of GenTV, a streaming platform with plans to produce influencer-led films. By his thinking, he can leverage massive social media followings for a business model centered around direct selling.
In 2022, Jackson entered into negotiations with Kavanaugh to act in and produce Skillhouse, which follows ten influencers who are forced to compete in do-or-die social media challenges, according to the complaint. A tentative deal was reached but neither side signed the deal.
Still, Jackson and his son filmed scenes to be used once a final agreement was reached. His “trust was misplaced,” the lawsuit states. “No final agreement was ever signed; nevertheless, Defendants have billed Jackson as the star and producer of the Film.”
Jackson was made the centerpiece of promotional efforts for the film, he alleges. A roughly nine-minute clip of Skillhouse, available for free on GenTV, prominently labels the title as a “50 Cent movie,” with Jackson in a starring role.
The lawsuit also takes issue with the movie being used to promote GenTV, which Jackson says directly competes with his own streaming channel, 50 Cent Action, a partnership with Lionsgate that features titles hand-selected by him from the studio’s library. Kavanaugh and GenTV “plan not only to steal Jackson’s reputation and goodwill amongst his millions of fans to boost their own film, but also to use that film to unfairly compete with Jackson’s other business ventures,” writes Jonathan Loeb, a lawyer for the rapper-turned-producer. “Obviously, Jackson never would have agreed to allow his intellectual property to be used in such a manner.”
Jackson, through his G-Unit Film and Television banner, has been building his production resume. Power, the Courtney Kemp-created series he executive produced, launched a run of hits for Starz after its 2014 debut, going six seasons and leading to multiple spinoffs. His other series for Starz, BMF, has wrapped its third season.
GenTV plans to release five to 10 films annually, each headline by top influencers. They’ll be distributed as short-form episodic films released on social media and traditional features available in theaters in a bid to merge short and long form content consumption.