Issa Rae Facing Plagiarism Lawsuit Over 'One Of Them Days' Script

Issa Rae is facing a plagiarism lawsuit from three Los Angeles screenwriters over her hit movie, One of Them Days.

On Wednesday (July 30), screenwriters Tyrone Perry, Shon Oku, and Joshua Isaacson filed a lawsuit against Rae's production company, ColorCreative, Sony Pictures, TriStar, and screenwriter Syreeta Singleton, accusing them of copying One of Them Days from a script they wrote in 2020, per Complex.

The lawsuit alleges that the film, starring Keke Palmer and SZA, is strikingly similar to their original screenplay titled One of Those Days. The trio cited 29 specific similarities in character arcs, plot structure, and tone.

According to the lawsuit, the screenwriters' script was initially shared outside of their group in 2023, when they passed it to Danny Hamouie. The group later submitted the script to producers Roman Arabia and Xavier Charles, who declined to produce it. Charles previously worked on HBO’s Insecure, which was created by Rae.

Shortly after the trio's submission, Rae's company announced One of Them Days, which the plaintiffs allege resulted from their script being circulated in her creative network.

“Oh my god, as soon as I read the script! You know, I’m a big fan of Syreeta Singleton’s writing,” Rae said in a previous interview.

The plaintiffs hired veteran screenwriter John Brancato to analyze both scripts. Brancato allegedly found a "substantial" overlap between the two scripts.

One of Them Days grossed over $51 million on a $14 million budget, with a sequel currently in development. The screenwriters' lawsuit seeks a jury trial, damages, and attorney’s fees.

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