Prior to releasing his 2013 album, The 20/20 Experience, Justin Timberlake made a documentary to accompany its release — but it never saw the light of day. Now, the film’s director is suing Justin.
Deadline reports the suit was brought on by music video mogul John Urbano, who claims he and Justin locked in a profit-sharing plan before cameras began rolling. He alleges the Grammy winner initiated the agreement and paid him $20,000 to begin.
The director said the video was finished, and upon showing the final product to the “Mirrors” singer, Justin was moved to “tears.” After dropping his third studio album, however, Justin’s interest in releasing the documentary “faded” following the album’s resounding success.
Urbano notes that he lost out on making $2.5 million because the documentary was shelved.
“Instead of fulfilling his obligations to the joint venture, Mr. Timberlake has failed to take any steps to promote, market, and sell the Making of The 20/20 Experience,” the lawsuit states. “Mr. Timberlake has increasingly distanced himself from the project and his partner — often using a network of agents, managers, and handlers to interface with Mr. Urbano.”
Aside from monetary damages, Urbano demands Justin fork over the rights to the Making of the 20/20 Experience movie.
Justin nor his agency have responded to Deadline’s request for comment at this time, nor have they issued a statement on the lawsuit.
The 20/20 Experience was released in 2013 as a follow-up to his 2010 work, 12″ Masters – The Essential Mixes.
His third studio album earned him several nods at the 2014 Grammy Awards — winning Best Music Video for “Suit & Tie” and Best R&B Song for “Pusher Love Girl.”
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.