The music manager Jerry Heller has filed a lawsuit against the members of N.W.A, including the Estate of the late Eazy-E, and the makers of the film Straight Outta Compton, claiming that they portrayed him as “the bad guy” and “a sleazy manager who took advantage of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube,” according to a report from TMZ.
Heller attended the film premiere in August in the company of his lawyers, and is now reportedly seeking at least $110 million in damages in a lawsuit that claims irreversible damage has been done to his reputation; that producers didn’t get permission to include his likeness; and also that scenes from his book were used in the film. He also complains that they didn’t even bother to come up with a fake name, like “Gary Beller”.
Straight Outta Compton is the highest grossing musical biopic in history, and plans for a sequel, about Death Row Records, are in the works, despite filmmakers apparently not having the relevant music rights.