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Black actor Faizon Love is suing Universal for cutting him off from the 2009 comedy poster “Couples Retreat” – accusing frontman Vince Vaughn of trying to help silence him, according to reports.
The 52-year-old actor said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that he was “appalled” when he saw him and his co-star, Kali Hawk, cut out from overseas advertising posters, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Rather than gain maximum visibility with the film’s release, Mr. Love was demoted to the proverbial ‘Invisible Man’,” the lawsuit said, referring to Ralph Ellison’s civil rights novel.
“Although Couples Retreat reached No. 1 in the Opening Weekend box office leaderboard and kicked off a spectacular run that grossed over $ 171 million globally, Universal Studios placed Mr. Love at the rear of the race appreciated by his six white teammates, ”It said.
Universal apologized when the edited poster was first displayed, and Love says he was promised future “lucrative and career film roles” that never materialized.
The film’s lead actor Vaughn, 50, is accused of helping movie bosses try to appease Love at the time, with the lawsuit claiming he “ went so far as to tell Mr. Love that making a big deal on his removal from the poster would be bad for his career, ”the report said.
Despite promises, the forged poster is still in use today, according to the lawsuit, which Love tweeted was the reason he filed 11 years after the film’s release.
Love told Variety he is seeking redress on behalf of black actors who have been abused by the industry.
“They didn’t just hurt me financially, they hurt me more by firing me because of my blackness – and they hurt all black performers by continuing to perpetuate racism in the film industry,” he said. Love said. “I want to make sure that future generations do not have to endure the racism and laundering that I have suffered.”
The lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court accuses Universal of fraud, breach of contract, and violation of California’s Fair Employment Act and Civil Rights Act.
Universal declined to comment, Variety said.
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