Alphonso Ribeiro is NOT happy about a video game’s use of his legendary dance moves.
Ribeiro, who played Carlton on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’, is suing Epic over Fortnite?s replication of his trademark dance move. He?s also suing 2K for doing the same thing in their basketball series.
Details below…
Ribeiro?s Tom Jones routine is one of the most defining moments in the history of the show, and he can rarely escape numerous requests to bust a move. The ‘Carlton’ is now a pop culture staple as evidence in this YouTube montage.
Alfonso’s attorney, David Hecht of Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht LLP, tells TMZ,
“It is widely recognized that Mr. Ribeiro?s likeness and intellectual property have been misappropriated by Epic Games in the most popular video game currently in the world, Fortnite.”
He continues, “Epic has earned record profits off of downloadable content in the game, including emotes like ?Fresh.? Yet Epic has failed to compensate or even ask permission from Mr. Ribeiro for the use of his likeness and iconic intellectual property.”
There’s absolutely no denying that FORTNITE’S use of the dance is an exact replica of Ribeiro’s legendary dance moves.
Ribeiro is currently in the midst of trying to copyright the dance, perhaps because Fortnite isn?t the only game to use it to make money. He’s also suing 2K’s basketball for the exact same thing.
Ribeiro is not the first celebrity with a signature dance to sue the makers of the popular Fortnite game. Attorney David L. Hecht says he and his firm are also representing rapper 2 Milly and Russell Horning, also known as the “Backpack Kid,” in lawsuits against Epic Games over Fortnite’s use of their signature dances within the game. Horning created a dance called the “Floss” in 2016, while 2 Milly created the “Milly Rock” around 2015.
“More plaintiffs are coming out of the woodwork each day,” Hecht said.