(EXCLUSIVE) TLC’s Ex Manager Pebbles – Judge Gives Green Light To Continue $40 Million Lawsuit Over VH1 Biopic

Perri Reid, Rozonda Thomas (Chilli), Tionne Watkins (T-Boz)

theJasmineBRAND.com exclusively reports, TLC’s former manager, Pebbles, scored a huge victory in her $40 million lawsuit over the VH1 biopic about the group – in which she accused the made-for-tv-film of ruining her good name – with the judge presiding over the case saying he believes she has a case and has allowed it to proceed to trial.

Here’s the latest: On September 14th, the judge came back with his decision on Viacom’s motion for summary judgement and sided with Pebbles.

He granted the motion in part and denied in part, but has ordered the parties to prepare for trial saying it will be up to a jury to decide if Pebbles was defamed by the movie, but he notes she has presented a case. The order states that ,

Defendants assert there is but one interpretation of these scenes and it is not defamatory. However, viewed as a whole and in a light most favorable to Plaintiffs claims in this case, the scenes depicting the TLC members signing their contracts and then being unable to get copies of the contracts from Plaintiff are reasonably capable of multiple interpretations, including one that is defamatory to Plaintiff The scenes plausibly imply that Plaintiff pressured the TLC members into signing the Contracts without reviewing them or having them reviewed by counsel, and refused to give them copies upon their request. Accordingly, whether these scenes reasonably impart the meaning Plaintiff maintains they do is a matter for a jury to decide.

Further,

This scene plausibly implies that Plaintiff exercised control over TLC’s attorney (who was portrayed as representing Plaintiff as well) for her benefit and to their detriment. Once again, whether this scene reasonably imparts the meaning Plaintiff maintains it does is a matter for a jury to decide.

The judge ordered both parties to continue to prepare their cases for trial, where a jury will determine if Pebbles should be awarded the $40 million she is seeking from her complaint.

Rozonda Thomas (Chilli), Tionne Watkins (T-Boz)

Here’s the backstory: Perri Reid aka Pebbles – TLC’s former manager – sued Viacom for $40 million claiming she was defamed by how TV movie “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” portrayed her. Pebbles explained in docs that the film showed her

as a conniving and dishonest business woman who hoodwinked three innocent girls and exploited their talent for her own personal gain.

Further, she said that contrary to what the film showed, she never controlled the groups lawyers and always paid the girls what they were due.

T-Boz, Chilli

Viacom fired back at the accusations they defamed Pebbles. In the docs they state that based on their knowledge, the portrayal of Pebbles was accurate and they did not act with malice when making the film. They demanded her 40 million dollar lawsuit be dismissed.

T-Boz & Chili were then dragged into the $40 million lawsuit over the VH1 movie and their former manager Pebbles filed docs stating she was going to depose the girls and grill them about the film and how they portrayed her in the movie.

The case had been pending for over a year with both sides battling it out.

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