Report: Gabrielle Union Sues BET Over ‘Being Mary Jane’ Compensation

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:

Source:

“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.