Nicci Gilbert, co-founder of R&B group Brownstone and a longtime advocate for Black creatives, has taken to social media to speak her truth after being hit with a major financial blow in her ongoing lawsuit against Lionsgate. The fight centers on her claims that the hit series P-Valley was based on her original concept Soul Kittens Cabaret—and she’s now been ordered to pay the entertainment giant $170,000 in legal fees.
But this isn’t just about money, according to Gilbert. It’s about what she describes as “intellectual property theft,” a deeper form of violence that doesn’t leave bruises but destroys generational wealth and silences voices that can’t afford million-dollar legal battles.
In her pinned post, Gilbert draws attention to how cases like hers—centered on ownership, creativity, and fairness—rarely get the same attention as headline-grabbing celebrity scandals involving guns or allegations. “That doesn’t make it less important,” she wrote. “That’s violence too.”
According to her post, Gilbert says she was denied a jury trial, had depositions redacted, and even had her 30-year expert witness struck from the record. She alleges her verified meeting with Lionsgate was completely ignored in court.
“The system only works for the wealthy and powerful,” she wrote. “If you think what’s happening to me can’t happen to you—keep watching.”
In a final swipe at the court’s judgment, Gilbert asked followers if they could genuinely look at the similarities between her work and P-Valley and say with a straight face that her family deserves to be financially destroyed over it.
Gilbert’s battle has become a rallying cry for other creators fighting for ownership of their intellectual property. She’s also emphasizing that this fight is constitutionally protected, pointing to Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution—also known as the Copyright and Patent Clause—which was designed to ensure creators can benefit from their original works.
She ended her message with hashtags including #NicciVsGoliath, #CreatorsDeserveJustice, and #BlackCreativesMatter.
