Okay, here's what I learned about lawsuits brought by David Ruffin's mother and kids, Melvin Franklin's mother, Otis Williams' ex-wife and his ex-manager.
David Ruffin's mother, Earline, sued over the movie's depiction of his death and showing his body was left unclaimed at the morgue for a week. The suit also contended with the suggestion that she was a prostitute, hinted at by Ruffin saying he was given to a pimp as payment for a debt. Earline Ruffin was not David's birth mother. The movie also allegedly defamed him when it showed the other members to have wives and children whereas Ruffin was depicted to be single and childless.
Melvin's mother, Rose, sued over the depiction of his death, which was [[as previously stated) not at her home but in the hospital.
Otis' wife, Josephine Miles, sued over the fact that Otis [[as I stated) was depicted as Father of the Decade and the movie also incorrectly depicted her as a cheater. She said he was a dog and she didn't cheat.
Specifically, the bases for the lawsuits ere [[A)
Right of Publicity [[B)
Unjust Enrichment [[C)
Defamation and [[D)
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress. I read the summary of the appeal which stated that there was no tort statute under Michigan law that permitted them to prevail regarding their right to publicity.
The court also determined that the producers had a right to tell a story that involved his acquaintances, so there was no unjust enrichment.
Earline Ruffin died before her case completed its run through the system and under Alabama law, defamation claims do not survive death of the plaintiff.
Finally, the court determined that there was no way to prove that the producers altered events depicted in the movie with the intent of causing the plaintiff's pain and/or emotional distress, let alone that there was a conclusive way to show how the pain was manifested.
So, all claims were dismissed upon initial hearing and again upon appeal.
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-6th-circuit/1408617.html
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