Perri ‘Pebbles’ Reid sues Viacom for TLC biopic
Perri “Pebbles” Reid, former manager of the girl group TLC, is suing Viacom for $40 million over the movie “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.”
Reid claims that the movie, which was released late last year, portrays her “as a conniving and dishonest business woman who hoodwinked three innocent girls and exploited their talent for her own personal gain.”
An R&B singer who has herself sold over 4 million records, Reid says in the suit that Viacom “ignored fundamental canons of journalistic and literary conduct by publishing false and defamatory accusations with actual malice.”
The suit filed late Friday states that, contrary to what VH1 viewers saw, Reid never controlled TLC’s lawyers or accountants, never withheld contract terms from TLC and always paid the group what they were owed. After selling 11 million copies of their 1994 album “CrazySexyCool,” TLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Record execs said TLC only filed in order to void their contracts, but the girls, who sued LaFace Records and Pebbitone, Reid’s management company, claimed they were paid only $50,000 a year each in 1993 and 1994.
Viacom has opted not to comment on the lawsuit.
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