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Vivica A. Fox Sued for Allegedly Stealing Male Strippers
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Summary: Vivica A. Fox’s former business partner said she stole his idea and then defamed him.

Did Vivica A. Fox slyly steal some strippers? That’s what her estranged business partner claims in a shocking new lawsuit. Her ex-partner Jean-Claude LaMarre said that not only did she steal his strippers but that she defamed his reputation. He is suing for libel, slander and intentional interference with contractual relations.

Jean-Claude LaMarre created Chocolate City, a movie franchise about African-American strippers that was inspired by the megahit Magic Mike. In his films, he cast Vivica A. Fox, who has starred in blockbusters like Independence Day and the TV series Curb Your Enthusiasm. 

  
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Realizing he had some heat with his male stripper movies, LaMarre thrust his concept into real-life and created an exotic male review called Black Magic Live. As he was developing it, production company Propagate Content approached him about making a reality series, and they said that it could air on Lifetime. But to air on the female-friendly network, they’d need a female lead so once again LaMarre called Fox to be his leading lady.

The series was renamed Vivica’s Black Magic, and it was presented as if Fox had created the business. In LaMarre’s lawsuit, he said that it seemed like a good business decision at the time.

“LaMarre believed that the exposure and publicity that Black Magic Live would receive from the reality series would dwarf any negative impact from the perception of an actor, Fox, running his business,” attorney Neville Johnson wrote in the complaint published by The Hollywood Reporter. 

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After the show premiered, LaMarre planned a 75-city Black Magic Live tour, and Fox said in a radio interview that the audience was women, not gay men. Her comments were deemed homophobic, and LaMarre apologized publicly and distanced himself from his female star. That rift caused Fox to secretly create her own competing business, Xplicit Minds, according to LaMarre’s lawsuit.

LaMarre said that not only did she steal his concept but that she also poached four of his dancers that had appeared on their reality show. Additionally, LaMarre accused her of talking smack in order to lure them away.



“Fox began a campaign of defamation against LaMarre, telling the dancers that LaMarre didn’t care about them, was exploiting them, and taking advantage of them, and now that they were on the brink of celebrity, they no longer needed LaMarre,” LaMarre’s lawsuit said.

LaMarre said that Fox advertised Xplicit using the fame from their Lifetime show, and she warned dancers that if they didn’t take her side then they may not return for season two.

But LaMarre’s chances of moving on with Black Magic Live were further thwarted because Fox allegedly dissed his show on her social media, telling her fans not to see his work.

“I will not be at this show and neither will most of the dancers! Buyer beware,” Fox said on Twitter.

LaMarre said people not only read these messages but canceled tickets because of them.

“As a result of Fox’s defamatory social media campaign, LaMarre’s customers canceled ‘Black Magic Live’ tickets and demanded refunds at shows,” LaMarre’s lawsuit said. “Fox’s homophobic interview comments and vindictive campaign against LaMarre and ‘Black Magic Live’ destroyed any economic advantages LaMarre expected to enjoy following the reality show.”

According to Variety, Lifetime has not renewed the reality show for a second season.

What do you think of this lawsuit? Let us know in the comments below.



 

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