It’s been a year since VH1 aired CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, but Perri “Pebbles” Reid is still upset about the way she was portrayed. How much is she upset? Well, try to the tune of a $40 million lawsuit.
In the biopic, Reid was portrayed as a money-hungry manager who stiffed the members of TLC on their royalties and only allowed them to live off $25 a week. Before and after the biopic aired, Reid was on a mission to clear her name.
Reid states that she was portrayed “as a conniving and dishonest businesswoman who hoodwinked three innocent girls and exploited their talent for her own personal gain,” and alleges that the network “ignored fundamental canons of journalistic and literary conduct by publishing false and defamatory accusations with actual malice.”
According to the New York Post, Reid said she never controlled TLC’s lawyers or accountants, never withheld contract terms from TLC and always paid the group what they were owed.
Even though TLC’s CrazySexyCool album sold 11 million copies, the trio still had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They also claimed they were only paid $50,000 a year each in 1993 and 1994.
In the VH1 biopic, Reid’s portrayal included her not only keeping money but also convincing Chilli to get an abortion and pushing T-Boz to neglect her health.
A Viacom representative did not address the lawsuit, stating, “It’s our policy not to comment on matters in litigation.”