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Oprah Winfrey has been hit with a federal lawsuit that claims she stole an idea for a TV show from two unknown TV writers. According to reports, screenwriting team Shannan Lynette Wynn and Pastor Lester Eugene Barrie are suing the media mogul for allegedly stealing their idea for their show Justice Glory for OWN’s original series, Greenleaf.
Wynn and Barrie pitched Justice Glory to Oprah’s OWN network back in 2014. Their idea was rejected, but they found it interesting when Greenleaf premiered with a similar theme to the show they pitched: a drama that focuses on a prominent black family and their megachurch in the South.
The lawsuit alleges that Greenleaf even uses “the same character names, and copied verbatim unique and novel storylines, themes, subplots and the overall tone of the show.” Pastor Barrie also claims that the character Pastor Basie is named after him.
Wynn and Barrie are suing for copyright infringement, breach of implied-infact contract and breach of written contract and are seeking $150,000 for each count of infringement.
