According to the New York Post, an Atlanta federal judge has ruled that R&B act TLC’s creator and former manager Perri “Pebbles” Reid can proceed with a case to sue Viacom for allegedly defaming her in a 2013 VH1 biopic, “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.” Viacom filed a motion last year stating Reid had no case, but the judge ruled against it Thursday. Reid signed the band in 1991, and TLC went on to become one of the biggest-selling female acts, with hits like “Waterfalls.” They later filed for bankruptcy, and the film claims Reid only paid the group $25 a week. Reid is seeking $40 million in damages. “We are thrilled with this major win against Viacom and look forward to justice,” Her lawyer, Stacey Godfrey Evans, told The New York Post. “Ms. Reid worked hard to ensure the success of TLC, and she is ready to present that story to a jury. The negative portrayal of her in the TLC movie is simply not the truth.”
“‘CrazySexyCool’ was a docudrama about the experiences of the members of TLC told from their perspective,” A spokesperson for Viacom told The New York Post in response to the ruling. “We are confident that our First Amendment rights to tell this story will ultimately be vindicated, although we are disappointed that the court chose not to dismiss the entire case on summary judgment.”
