Gabrielle Union Sues BET For “Outrageous Conduct”

The future of “Being Mary Jane” hangs in the balance as the show’s star, Gabrielle Union, has taken BET to court. Marty Stringer, Union’s attorney, tells Deadline, “We filed this lawsuit because of BET’s outrageous conduct toward its No. 1 star on its highest rated show.”

According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Union is calling out BET for going back on their contractual agreement. Here’s the scoop: Gabby and BET agreed that “Being Mary Jane” would not surpass 13 episodes per season. BET ordered 10-episode fourth and fifth seasons of the series to be shot back-to-back. Gabrielle Union was fine with that as long as she got a break in filming.  However, Gabrielle and her lawyers now feel things are looking funny in the light with this new filming schedule.

“Although BET represented and assured Ms. Union before she agreed to perform in Being Mary Jane that it would never produce more than thirteen (13) episodes per season of the series,” the suit says, “BET now wants to shoot twenty (20) episodes of the series back-to-back and cram all of the episodes into a single season in order to fraudulently extend the term of Ms. Union’s contract, with no additional consideration, and to deprive Ms. Union of her agreed-upon compensation for the next two seasons of Being Mary Jane. It is outrageous that BET would treat one of its biggest stars in this manner after all she has done to support the network and contribute to its success.”

In short, someone must have tipped Gabrielle Union off and told her that the 20 episodes she’s filming would NOT be for two separate seasons, but instead for one long season. This causes a problem because 20 episodes or not, she’s only being paid for one season, not two.

According to the suit, Union is due for a raise for every additional season the show airs. “By way of example, for Season Four of the Series, the Agreement provides that Plaintiffs are to be paid $150,000 per episode for a minimum of thirteen (13) episodes of the Series, and for Season Five of the Series the Agreement provides that Plaintiffs are to be paid $165,000 per episode for a minimum of thirteen (13) episodes of the Series.”

So again, no new season means less money per episode.

Gabrielle Union is suing BET for $3 million in damages and a declaration that BET cannot seek more than 13 episodes for any season of Being Mary Jane.