new verzuz The battle is brewing. On Tuesday night, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz sued Thriller for breach of contract, claiming the alleged TikTok competitor owes them more than $28 million.
Timbaland and Swizz Beatz launched an Instagram series shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US in March 2020. It started out as a remote competition, and as restrictions were lifted, it moved to live events. broadcast live on social platforms. Also Apple music. Dozens of artists have appeared throughout the series, including Snoop Dogg, John Legend, Alicia Keys, RZA, and Ludacris. Filmed at Tyler Perry’s studio, the battle between ’90s icons Brandi and Monica drew over 1.2 million viewers at the same time.
Thriller announced the acquisition in March 2021 verzuz for an undisclosed sum in a deal that made Timbaland and Swizz Beatz shareholders in its parent company Triller Network.
Now of course the amount was in the middle of eight. It would be paid in installments: the first at closing, the second shortly thereafter, and two more on the first and second anniversary of the deal. Thriller made the first two scheduled payments, but the company defaulted on the settlement in January 2022, according to the complaint filed by lawyers for Singh Singh & Trauben in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Timbaland and Swizz Beatz reached an agreement and payment with Thriller in February. Under its terms, Thriller had to pay $9 million by March 17 (and sooner if the company reached the funding threshold). After that, Thriller would pay $500,000 on the first of the month for 10 months. That timeline will be accelerated if the company receives $100 million in funding or closes its proposed merger with SeaChange International. An additional $120,000 was allocated for the producers’ legal fees.
According to the complaint, Thriller returned to fulfill the contract. He didn’t make the $18 million payment in March, nor did he make the $1 million monthly installments. Timbaland and Swizz Beatz sent a notice and demanded payment in April, but Thriller has yet to pay.
Notably, his settlement agreement included a waiver of immunity. The lawsuit sets out the agreement: “If Triller fails to meet any of its payment obligations under this Agreement and fails to cure it within five (5) days of receipt of written notice of such breach, the total amount balance unpaid under this Agreement will be expedited and due immediately. payable and payable, and with respect to any breach, Thriller forever waives all claims and defenses, whether at law or in equity (“Claim(s) and Waiver(s) and Defense(s)”). ”) except that timely pay actually stars Thriller.”
It also states that “the prevailing party will receive reasonable attorneys’ fees.” Given that Thriller’s only defense to the permissible deal is “punctual payment,” it’s hard to imagine the duo not winning.
Timbaland and Swizz Beatz are seeking $28,095,000 in damages, plus attorney fees and costs, as well as pre-trial interest.
Suspense rep sent the hollywood reporter In a statement Tuesday night, the company said it hoped it was just a “misunderstanding”.
“This is truly regrettable and we hope this is nothing more than a misunderstanding caused by the lawyers,” the statement said. “We don’t want to do our dirty laundry, but we pay Swizz and Tim millions in cash and stock. No one has benefited so much from the thriller until today. Suspense helped propel verzuz to new heights, becoming a global cultural phenomenon today. We hope to resolve this amicably and quickly, and we really hope it’s just a misunderstanding. If we are forced to defend it, let us be optimistic, truth and facts are on our side.”
Thriller, which gained traction as a video-sharing app, has since received a majority investment from Ryan Kavanaugh’s Proxima Media and has expanded into live events, including a boxing league called the Triller Fight Club.
Thriller is no stranger to litigation, having run afoul of TikTok and the podcasting duo, and has since faced a biometric privacy class action (among other things). Nor does Cavanaugh, whose bankrupt Relativity Media is mired in litigation, including investor lawsuits, a contract dispute with Netflix and claims against a fired executive.
August 17, 7:10 am: Updated with trailer announcement.
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.