When it comes to keeping up with the entertainment industry, lawsuits are simply bound to pop up. Whether it's two exes going after one another, regular folks going after major stars, or even an actress going after a studio, lawsuits pop up every now and again, and they usually manage to make headlines.
A few years back, Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg linked up for Ballers, which became a hit show on HBO. Well, this show was allegedly quite similar to another project, so much so that the show was slapped with a lawsuit worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Let's look at the lawsuit and see what happened!
Dwayne Johnson And Mark Wahlberg's 'Ballers' Was A Hit
From August 2015 to October 2019, Ballers was one of the coolest shows on TV. The HBO production, which starred none other than Hollywood powerhouse, Dwayne Johnson, was actually produced by Johnson and Mark Wahlberg, and with those two names involved, there was simply no way this show was going to fail.
For 5 seasons and nearly 50 episodes, Ballers was a staple on HBO. No, it was never as big as Game of Thrones, but then again, nothing at the time was. Nevertheless, the series had a loyal audience that couldn't get enough of the sports show.
Interstingly, the NFL was none too happy with Wahlberg and Co.
"The first season of the show the only calls I was getting were from guys like Roger Goodell saying, ‘You can’t do this,’ and various owners in the league," Wahlberg revealed.
The producer, however, let Goodell know that "it’s actually a good thing for the league and the players because hopefully you’ll get the word out there with the crazy stuff and the financial side of it and hopefully get these guys to realize that they’ve got to be more careful with what they do with their money."
Ballers was a runaway success, but during its successful run, it was slapped with a major lawsuit.
The Show Was Hit With A Lawsuit In 2015
In 2015, it was reported that the series was being hit with a major lawsuit to the tune of $200 million. Yes, that much money as on the line.
Per the jury trial, via Deadline, "Plaintiffs are informed and believe and on that basis allege, that the more recent work, Ballers, borrows heavily from the Materials and that certain aesthetic elements, including, without limitation, physical appearance of the characters and their vehicles, and plots, scenes, as well as story lines are virtually identical to the Materials that the Defendants had access to."
They would continue, alleging that Ballers wasn't just similar to Off Season, but that it was "virtually identical."
“The stories, character traits, scenes, and incidents portrayed in the two works, Ballers and Off Season, are, in many respects, virtually identical and strikingly similar. These substantially similar elements, coupled with the Defendants’ direct access to the Materials, leaves little doubt that numerous elements of Ballers were copied from Off Season."
This was a major allegation, and as you could imagine, Johnson, Wahlberg, and HBO were not ready to simply roll over and allow their names to be dragged through the mud. With that much money on the line, as well as the reputations of all involved, this was not a lawsuit that was going to be resolved quickly.
Eventually, however, a decision was reached.
The Lawsuit Was Ultimately Dropped
In 2017, it was reported that the lawsuit filed against Ballers was tossed, freeing Johnson, Wahlberg, and the show of any wrongdoing.
According to Deadline, "In a tentative ruling released in the court before the hearing and finalized after arguments from the lawyers involved, the judge noted that the similarities between Ballers and Off Season did not rise to the standard of copyright infringement but merely had general expressions that you might find in any project where football players were a primary element. Additionally, Wu made a point of noting that the plaintiff’s claims of similarities did not hold up under examination and were, in fact, often taken out of context."
This was great news for everyone involved with the show, as a significant amount of money and credibility were on the line. For the other side, however, this must have felt like a massive punch to the gut.
Things nearly came crashing down for Ballers early into its run on HBO, but the lawsuit against them didn't stick. Instead, the series was able to run for several more seasons, eventually reaching a conclusion in 2019.
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