Beyonce’s none too sweet on claims that she ripped off the idea for “Lemonade” from a short film, and she blasted back at the accusations in a court filing Friday.
The “Single Ladies” chanteuse was sued in June by filmmaker Matthew Fulks, who clams that the trailer for “Lemonade” and the subsequent HBO film infringe on his short film “Palinoia.”
On Friday, Beyonce’s legal team filed a motion saying that the suit should be tossed out, saying that the works have nothing to do with each other.
“[A] straightforward comparison of the parties’ works provides a textbook example of what does not constitute legally cognizable claim of infringement,” the motion to dismiss reads.
For one thing, the motion says, “Palinoia” doesn’t deal with the topic of infidelity, a central theme of “Lemonade.”
For another, the races and genders of the protagonists are reversed in the two works.
“‘Palinoia’ is about a ‘tumultuous relationship’ that is now over. The protagonist is a white male and his former lover is a white blonde woman,” the motion reads. “The demise of their relationship is oblique, and is not tied to infidelity.”
“‘Lemonade,’” meanwhile, “portrays the stages through which its African- American female protagonist goes in connection with an existing relationship, ending in reconciliation.”
[graphiq id=”7u0ju95GYCx” title=”Beyoncé Studio Albums Ranked by Critic Score” width=”600″ height=”493″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/7u0ju95GYCx” link=”https://www.graphiq.com/wlp/7u0ju95GYCx” link_text=”Beyoncé Studio Albums Ranked by Critic Score | PrettyFamous” ]
The motion also cites a host of other ways in which the two films differ.
“For the foregoing reasons, Defendants respectfully request that their motion to dismiss … be in all respects granted,” the motion concludes.
Fulks is seeking unspecified damages in his suit, which claims copyright infringement.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.