Jennifer Lopez might have to pay some “Dinero.”
Lopez, a judge and executive producer on NBC’s “World of Dance,” is being sued by a man who claims he pitched the idea for competition series 10 years ago and is looking to get paid the revenue he’s insisting he’s been denied. The man, Alvin Gray-El, filed a federal lawsuit this week against Lopez, NBC and famed choreographer Debbie Allen, Page Six has confirmed. Allen plays no role in “World of Dance.”
Gray-El claims he pitched the idea of a show called “Let’s Start the Dance” back in 2009, according to legal documents obtained by The Blast. He alleges to have faxed a letter to Allen and her production company in an effort to see if she was interested in producing the show, but he never heard back.
Gray-El claims he had the show registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 2010. Seven years later, he claims he discovered “World of Dance” was in production at NBC. He claims he attempted to contact the peacock network to notify honchos of copyright infringement but never heard back.
The lawsuit doesn’t explain how Gray-El feels his idea for “Let’s Start the Dance” made it to NBC or Lopez from Allen. He is asking for $5 million in actual damages and $1.5 million in punitive damages.
But a source told Page Six on Tuesday that “World of Dance” began as an organization that existed prior to the show’s creation and that NBC brought the idea to Lopez. The pop star didn’t come up with the idea herself.
Reps for NBC and Lopez didn’t immediately return Page Six’s requests for comment.