Spinal Tap’s Harry Shearer ‘defrauded out of £102m by film giants'
The creator of This Is Spinal Tap, Harry Shearer, has filed a $125 million law suit claiming he was defrauded out of profits from the cult film.
Media giant Vivendi, which owns the rights, and subsidiaries including StudioCanal and Universal Music Group manipulated accounting data, according to legal papers.
It is claimed the firms “engaged in fraud to deprive Spinal Tap’s creators of a fair return for their work”.
Shearer — who voices characters on The Simpsons, including Mr Burns — is seeking “not less” than $125 million (£102 million) “in compensatory and punitive damages”.
He also plays bassist Derek Smalls in the 1984 parody about a rock group on tour.
The papers say the four Spinal Tap creators’ share of global merchandising income from 1984-2006 was $81 (£66) and their income from musical sales from 1989-2006 was $98 (£80).
Vivendi declined to comment.
