(AllHipHop News) A dispute over a failed movie involving rapper/actor Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, is at the heart of a new legal situation between the power couple and a financier for the feature.
Legal papers filed Friday (Feb. 5) in L.A. County Superior Court, note claims by the Smiths that David Grasso is threatening to sue them over what he believes to be allegations the pair “guaranteed” a return on his investment in the film, titled The Human Contract.
Written in 2007 and directed by Pinkett-Smith, the feature centers on a relationship between a successful but unhappy businessman (Jason Clarke) and a mysterious, free-spirited stranger (Paz Vega) who tempts him into exploring reckless love.
In addition to Pinkett-Smith, Idris Elba and Ted Danson are featured in the movie, which was executive produced by Will Smith and marked his spouse’s directorial debut. The Smiths disputed the Grasso’s claims, saying they are not to blame for the failure of The Human Contract and “made no such representations” regarding the film.
In light of the drama making no money and going straight to DVD last year, the couple confessed, “it is unlikely that it will ever make a profit.”
Although the Smiths are not interested in suing the Grasso for money, TMZ.com reports the pair wants a judge to declare that they are not liable for the money lost by the investor.
A representative for the couple addressed the issue while telling the site that “although we normally shun this type of controversy, we felt compelled to respond to the baseless threats and absurd allegations put forth by Mr. Grasso’s counsel.”
