Former TLC manager Perri “Pebbles” Reid has finally settled her defamation lawsuit against Viacom.
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The 2013 TLC biopic “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” was a huge success for the network socially and financially. However, Reid wasn’t happy with how the network and writers portrayed her and her involvement with TLC. After the film aired, Reid filed a $40 million defamation lawsuit in 2014 against Viacom that has now been put to rest after nearly five years.
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The trial was originally going to start on Sept. 24, but instead closed on Friday (Aug. 24). In Reid’s lawsuit she claimed she was portrayed as a “conniving and dishonest business woman who hoodwinked three innocent girls and exploited their talent for her own personal gain.” At first, Viacom tried to get the lawsuit dropped, arguing that the biopic was written by TLC members Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas. The company also added there was no malice in the film’s depiction of Reid.
Regardless, U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen ended up siding with Reid due to some of her claims being supported by her defamation case. There were specific scenes from the film that granted Reid the opportunity to take Viacom to trial. The scenes included the portrayal of Reid pressuring TLC to sign contracts without them thoroughly reviewing them, Reid only paying the group $25 a week, Reid deciding to remove Chili from the group and Reid deducting expenses from the group. The judge ruled in Reid’s favor because of the possibility of bias on Viacom’s end, according to Vibe.
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Reid’s attorney, Lin Wood, has stated the terms of the settlement are confidential.
