In December, Morgan Spurlock penned a lengthy confession to sexual misconduct and stepped down from his documentary company. As a result, TNT was forced to suspend production on Spurlock’s docuseries, “Who Rules the World?,” which was to focus on issues affecting women.
Spurlock is now facing a lawsuit from Turner Entertainment Networks, which alleges that he has failed to communicate with the network or return production funds since stepping aside.
TNT announced the show last spring. It was supposed to be produced with Sarah Jessica Parker, and was intended to “unpack the most divisive and complicated issues facing women today, from the policing of their bodies and judgments to their family planning choices, to the micro-aggressions they face in the media, the workplace and everyday life.”
In the suit filed Tuesday in federal court in Los Angeles, Turner says it has informed Spurlock by letter that the network has the right to take over the production. The network has asked for budgets, contracts and other financial data associated with the show, and had received no response. Spurlock’s law firm said it was uncertain whether Spurlock was still a client. The network has also demanded the return of funds in the production account, and again received no response.
“Unable to obtain return of the funds through cooperative processes, TEN was forced to bring this suit,” the network states.
In his public post, Spurlock acknowledged serial infidelities and an alcohol problem. He also said he had paid a settlement to a former employee who alleged she had been sexually harassed, and that he had been accused of rape in college.