The conflict between two prominent figures in the music industry has flared up once more.
Simon Fuller, known for creating American Idol, has initiated a legal dispute against Fox Broadcasting and FremantleMedia, the network and production entities behind The X Factor USA.
According to Fuller, these companies have not honored a prior agreement stemming from a copyright lawsuit he filed in 2005 against Simon Cowell’s competing reality show in the UK, which alleged that his competitor and former employee had appropriated his concept for the talent series.
At that time, the 51-year-old settled his $140 million lawsuit outside of court, accepting ten percent of the profits, a credit as an executive producer, and stipulations preventing Cowell, also 51, from bringing The X Factor to the US for a duration of five years.
With the American version now in progress, Fuller is escalating his fight to the US.
In a statement to Deadline today, Fuller’s publicist remarked, ‘Today Simon Fuller filed a legal complaint in the State of California against Fox Broadcasting Company and Fremantle due to their refusal to honor a 2005 contract that allocated Mr. Fuller an executive producer credit and compensation for The X Factor television program in the U.S.
‘Mr. Fuller has made reasonable attempts to resolve this situation privately, but the other parties have declined to uphold the original agreement, prompting him to take legal action.’
In response, Fox and Fremantle have released their own statement, asserting, ‘Mr. Fuller has neither been hired nor performed any responsibilities regarding the U.S. version of The X Factor.
‘His lawsuit seeks both payment and credit as an executive producer, despite the fact that he has not received approval from the necessary parties nor been employed in that capacity.
‘We are confident that this lawsuit is without merit and anticipate a favorable outcome.’
Fuller’s complaint claims, ‘Fox and Fremantle profited immensely, earning hundreds of millions due to Fuller’s creative contributions.
‘At this point when they are expected to fulfill these undeniable commitments, Fox and Fremantle deny Fuller his due credit and financial remuneration associated with his role and standing in the entertainment industry for the new television series, The X Factor.
‘The defendants’ refusal to honor their commitments to Fuller is especially egregious given that without his prior agreement, The X Factor would not even air in the United States.’
Fuller, renowned for his work with acts like the Spice Girls, S Club 7, and notables like David and Victoria Beckham and Amy Winehouse, reportedly felt deep anger when, after propelling Cowell to success with Pop Idol and later American Idol, Cowell expressed intentions for his own series.
‘A source from 19 Entertainment revealed in October, “He viewed that as the pinnacle of disloyalty and a betrayal. He believed he had crafted Simon Cowell’s career, helped make him a household name with Idol, and earned him substantial profits, only to see Cowell turn around and effectively replicate his show concept.”
Conversely, a source close to Cowell stated, ‘Simon has generated enormous wealth for Fox through Idol. While Fuller holds ownership of the brand, Cowell has always been the public face of Idol. He has long harbored resentment over the fact that he worked tirelessly while the majority of earnings flowed to someone else’s benefits.’
Cowell reportedly aims to surpass Fuller’s considerable $500 million fortune, which is nearly three times Cowell’s own estimated wealth.
‘WhenWith the concept of bringing The X Factor to America, he approached Fox, putting them in a tough position. Fox wasn’t keen on spending millions to broadcast two incredibly similar programs, yet they were determined to prevent Cowell from moving to a competing network.
Following Cowell’s announcement last year about leaving Idol to concentrate on introducing the X Factor to the United States, the two have exchanged pointed remarks regarding their respective shows.
During a rare interview earlier this year, Fuller commented that American Idol had seen improvements since the departure of his ‘Mr Nasty’ judge.
‘Our aim was to eliminate negativity and adopt a more motivational approach,’ he mentioned.
‘We recognize that this show’s success hinges completely on the genuine journeys of real individuals driven by passion and dreams, devoid of gimmicks, spin, or illusions. The most delightful aspect of this new Idol season is its positivity and energy.’
The ‘positive’ atmosphere of the previous season, featuring new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, faced satire in the fresh preview trailer for The X Factor USA.
‘One thing I can guarantee is that you’re in for an experience unlike anything else in America,’ Cowell stated in another teaser for the forthcoming series. ‘Many surprises await you.’
by Lorelle Heath