Fans excited about the 4th season of BET’s hit series ‘Being Mary Jane’ should worried about being disappointed if recent news is anything to go by.
The show, which consistently delivers some of the network’s highest ratings since its debut, is under fire from a surprising source: its leading star Gabrielle Union.
Details inside:
“Gabrielle Union on Tuesday filed suit against BET for breach of contract.
In a suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the “Being Mary Jane” star claims the network is attempting to combine seasons four and five of the drama into one 20-episode season in a ploy to shortchange her by extending the length of the season beyond the terms of her deal.
“Although BET represented and assured Miss Union before she agreed to perform in ‘Being Mary Jane’ that it would never produce more than thirteen (13) episodes per season of the series, BET now wants to shoot twenty (20) episodes of the series back-to-back and cram all of the episodes into a single season in order to fraudulently extend the term of Ms. Union’s contract,” the complaint said.”
Additional reports indicate:
Under the terms of her deal, BET had the option to extend Union’s employment for four additional seasons beyond the first, with the actress to receive $150,000 per episode for the first four seasons, and $165,000 per episode for a fifth season.
Union is reportedly seeking $1 million in damages. BET has yet to offer an official statement on the matter.
Tidbit: The story follows growing reports that actors of color make significantly less than their White counterparts. Read more on that here.
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Looks like Gabby is leaving BET very soon.
Nobody wants to do business with a shady network.
But yaaassss at her getting 160k per episode on BET — those numbers are slaying my edges. I didn’t know they had money like that over there on black entertainment television to pay just one actress.
Lmfao this comment is hilarious
That’s nothing lmao
Bravo hs Been on less
And they have paid nene a mil for a 20 episode season
Gabby is a respectable Hollywood actress she’s been in major dramas on major networks and on the big screen
BET is owned by Viacom, who also owns MTV and VH1. Why are you surprised that they can afford this?
So this is why thie show didn’t comeback this month! This is stupid on both parties part. Gabrielle if you want a successful show on night time television it needs to be 20 episodes long and start at the season premiere date of September to April or May like most prime time television shows. But if 13 episodes is what you signed up for, that’s the contract you should be receiving. BET is known for breaching contracts or not committing to their word. What sad is a good show may get axed because both parties are going to f**** it up. This is why BET can’t have nice things; they don’t know how to treat it.
Being Mary Jane is a cable television show. Cable shows do not typically run Sept-Apr like regular network shows. They run on their own schedule and typically for 3 months and no more than 15 episodes (like The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones). The number of episodes per season have nothing to do with whether a series is successful. But I agree it is a great show!
Thank you for your comment. After reading gay foolishness above.
The “gay” was a typo, it was meant to say the foolishness above. Apologies everyone.
Wait prime time actress blackish Travis is paid 80k per ep. Tataji 175 k per ep viola 250k per all on prime time how does gabby get paid so much on bet wow
It’s not really a lot when you think about it. She only does 13 episodes per season compared to the regular network actors who do 22-24 episodes per season. She still makes less per season overall than the black actors on Empire, HTGAWM,Scandal and Blackish.
Tracie I mean
BET is owned by Viacom the same as Nick, MTV, ect. Sad you all believe black network cant make money too.
BET makes money. If they didn’t Viacom wouldn’t of bought it for $3 billion.
I knew when Mara Brock Akil left as Executive Producer of the show last year things would get bad. BET considered canceling Mary Jane due to Akil’s departure and now that she’s gone, all hell broke loose. This show has so much potential and so many more stories to tell. I hope this gets worked out.
Get dem coins Gabby!! Im just praying this whole drama wont make em cancel this show.. It has so much more stories to tell . .. I see no reason why Taraji PH and Terrance H. Shouldnt pull in 500k per episode judging by the way Empire is pulling in high ratings…Viola still be cashing dem big screen benjamins so Im satisfied wid her
It’s us black nothing surprising…. we have to work on ourselves before asking other to respect us and work on them..
This kind of things need to stop we don’t hear many stories like that coming from a “white company”
Gabby is a Boss! She don’t play about her coins… If you take pennies they are gonna give you pennies.. she deserves to be paid appropriately. It’s the only quality scripted show BET has produced in my opinion. Side note I hope this don’t mess with season 4…
I don’t believe the list that was published showing the salaries of the various actors on TV (linked in the Tidbit above). Has anyone with the ability to know confirmed that those figures? The figures for the Empire cast seem like the salaries they earned for the pilot. There’s no way their salaries are still at those levels.
Hopefully she get her moneys from them