Paramount Settles Lawsuit That Claimed It Was ‘Mad At Rihanna’ Over ‘Smurfs’ Movie Song
The settlement will end a case filed by a behind-the-scenes hitmaker who alleged he wrote a Rihanna track that appeared in the movie but was never paid for it.
A Grammy-nominated songwriter, Sam Roman, has reached a confidential settlement with Paramount Pictures in a lawsuit over the use of his song "Anyone" in the 2022 Smurfs movie. According to attorneys for both parties, the dispute has been resolved without admitting fault or assigning blame.
Roman alleged in his lawsuit that he was approached in 2022 by Paramount about writing a song for the Smurfs film. He claimed the studio promised significant backend royalties and that the song would be performed by Rihanna, heavily promoted in the movie. However, as the release date approached, Roman states that the studio changed its mind and decided not to release "Anyone" commercially.
Roman alleges that after the movie's release, Paramount unfairly blamed him and Rihanna for the financial losses incurred from the unsuccessful song. He stated that the studio attempted to punish him by using his uncopyrighted music without consent in key scenes of the film. Paramount has not commented on the settlement.
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