Updated Dec. 17, 2015: A lawyer for “Youthful Daze” creator James denied the accusations in Madylin Sweeten’s lawsuit, and further alleged that the actress failed to show up for filming of the web series, a breach of her contract that cost the production thousands of dollars.
Previously:
Not all soap operas confine their drama to the small screen.
“Everybody Loves Raymond” star Madylin Sweeten has filed a lawsuit against Bryan James, the creator of Internet soap opera “Youthful Daze,” claiming that he duped her into investing tens of thousands of dollars in the show with promises that he never intended to keep.
In the suit, Sweeten — who played daughter Ally on the CBS sitcom — claims that James approached her in August to act in the next season of the series and, shortly after, asked her to invest in it.
Though Sweeten claims she was initially reluctant, “given (James’) reputation in the industry,” she eventually relented in part because he assured her that all of he decisions relating to the show would be made by mutual consent between them.
However, the suit — filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday — says that quickly turned out to not be the case, with James hiring actors, a producer, entering equipment agreements and filming without required permits, all without Sweeten’s blessing.
The suit claims that James eventually admitted that he “didn’t make it 100 percent clear how [he] tend[s] to work.”
Alleging fraud, breach of contract, unjust enrichment and other counts, Sweeten is seeking damages “of not less than $28,020.” She also wants the agreement between herself and James rescinded.
A lawyer for James denied Sweeten’s accusations, and alleged that the actress failed to show up for filming, a breach of her contract that cost the production thousands of dollars.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.