Damon Dash names Mariah Carey as potential witness
That'd be a great trial. A lawsuit by hip hop mogul Damon Dash claiming Hollywood director Lee Daniels owes him millions may wind up being a blockbuster proceeding. The co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records name-dropped music superstars Kanye West and Mariah Carey in an updated complaint filed Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court. "There are pretty notable potential witnesses there," said his lawyer Natraj Bhushan.
Dash mentioned the renowned rapper and pop diva among those who can boost his assertion that he was cheated out of investments to numerous flicks, including the hit movies "Precious", "The Butler" and "Te Paperboy".
Dash said he got West to promote "The Woodsma" - the first film Dash produced with Daniels in 2004 - by having the star perform at venues where ads for the movie would run. Dash also contends he was instrumental in convincing Carey to appear in the 2008 drama "Tennessee" by assuring her "that Lee was a competent and talented producer", even though his previous flick "Shadowboxer" had flopped.
The suit, which asks for unspecified damages, contends that Dash never got a return on the $2 million he pumped into Lee's movies despite repeated promises, and that he was robbed of producer credits on some of the flicks.
Dash made millions from the music label he started with - and later sold to - Jay Z, but he is now deep in debt and had been the target of several suits himself. He also faces legal troubles that carry a potential of criminal prosecutions, according to reports.
His lawsuit charged that Lee's manager and co-producer Simone Sheffield has given Dash the runaround and later defamed him by telling others in the industry that he's going to jail.
The extended complaint was filed in response to a request by Lee's attorney James Sammataro. He was not immediately authorized to comment on the case when contacted Monday. (New York Daily News)
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