Terrence Howard has filed a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox, claiming the studio used his likeness from the 2005 movie Hustle and Flow to promote Empire.
20th Century Fox are Howard’s former employers, with the actor starring in the show’s six seasons as Lucious Lyon.
According to TMZ, Howard never sat for a photoshoot with Fox and hence he believes the image was taken from a scene where Howard’s character DJay is recording his song Hard Out Here for a Pimp in a studio.
‘The still frame was selected, reversed (face looking left, not right), and subjected to CGI that simply distilled the cinematographer’s skilled capture of the head with vibrant light and shadow,’ Howard’s suit alleges.
The actor is suing for unspecified damages and he also wants a full accounting of Empire merchandise that was sold with that logo on it.
This is not the first time this year that Howard has sued Fox. In March, he took the studio to court alleging that it owes him money for episodes he’s starred in – while the network claims Howard’s ex-wife is demanding all of Howard’s income be handed over to him in their divorce settlement.
In August 2019, Howard was ordered to pay Ghent $1.3 million in back spousal support – combined with his television success from Empire. Daily Mast
