Bobby Brown sues Showtime, BBC over Whitney Houston documentary
Whitney Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown and the estate of their daughter Bobbi Kristina have sued Showtime Networks and the BBC over alleged unauthorised footage used in a 2017 documentary about the late singer, Whitney: Can I Be Me.
According to a complaint filed on Wednesday, Brown and Bobbi Kristina's estate never consented to the airing of footage used in the documentary.
The plaintiffs said the material is approximately 15 years old, predating Brown's 2007 divorce from Houston and her 2012 death, and its unauthorised use has harmed Brown, his business and Bobbi Kristina's estate.
"Every person should have the right to control how their identity or likeness or personality, or voice, name or image is commercialised by others," the complaint said.
Whitney: Can I Be Me premiered in the US in August 2017 on Showtime and the BBC has aired it in the United Kingdom. It draws on interviews with Houston's friends and people who knew her, as well as archive footage.
Showtime declined to comment, and the BBC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Brown's lawyer, Christopher Brown, did not immediately respond to similar requests.
The plaintiffs are seeking at least $2m for violations of their rights of publicity and false advertising, and an injunction against the documentary's distribution.
