Aretha Franklin has filed an amended lawsuit against director Alan Elliot to stop the release of documentary film Amazing Grace. In it she claims that she never authorized Elliot to use footage of her 1972 gospel concert at The New Missionary Baptist Church but there is yet another twist on this one, that he reportedly showed the film to prospective buyers in Toronto. Franklin has been against the documentary from the start, but the lawsuits just keep coming, which is bad news for Elliot.
Billboard reported that the amended lawsuit states, "Ms. Franklin has never given permission for the use of this footage in any commercial or other context and has not authorized the public release of this footage." The supposed screening "violates Ms. Franklin's contractual and statutory rights, her rights to use and control her name and likeness, and represents an invasion of her privacy."
The statement also read that the film was screened without the approval of Franklin. The director had allegedly agreed over email that he would not show the film to prospective buyers in public and subsequently violated this understanding soon after.
Variety reported that her lawsuit is aimed to receive a declaratory judgement that Elliot must have her permission in order to show the film - with the accompanying concert footage - in public. This follows her earlier lawsuit that resulted in a temporary injunction to bar showings of the film at the Chicago Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival and blocked it from premiering at the Telluride Film Festival.
Whether the reports that he held this alleged Toronto showing for prospective buyers is true or not, Franklin and her camp are clearly taking the matter very seriously.
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