Shirley Caesar Files $5 Million Lawsuit Over #UNameItChallenge

BY: Denver Sean

Published 8 years ago

Shirley Caesar has filed a lawsuit over what her attorney said is an unauthorized use of her sermon and song in response to the viral ‘U Name It Challenge.’

She’s suing DJ Suede — who originated the #UNameItChallenge — alleging his remix cost her $5 million in losses.

Update: Shirley has released a statement on the situation via her attorney.

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via The Grio:

Caesar’s lead attorney, James Walker, claims that Judge Glenda Hatchett agrees with Caesar’s claims that the song has cost her up to $5 million and that it jeopardized a deal that she was going into with Snoop Dogg, with the proceeds from such a project going to help the hungry.

“DJ Suede and his management were in conversations with her lawyer. They didn’t reach an agreement and they put it out anyway,” Hatchett said.

While initially, the remix video was a hit with Caesar, the second video made by Suede had been put out without their knowledge, Walker claimed.

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“Unknown to us, he made the second video,” Walker said.

The injunction had been filed against DJ Suede, Jullian Boothe and Empire Distribution as Caesar tries to stop the video, which is being sold on iTunes.

On the other hand, the video Snoop posted at the height of the craze was clean and had no lewd elements, and Caesar appreciated that version.

“Snoop did his clean version to send the message that ‘this is Shirley Caesar’, We need to honor her,’” Walker explained.

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Well, it IS her song…but do you think it’s worth $5 million? We don’t.

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