Pebbles
Singer/songwriter Pebbles, real name Perri
Reid, scored a legal victory in her defamation case
against cable network, VH1 and its parent company, Viacom,
who are the makers of the 2013 television movie "CrazySexyCool:
The TLC Story." The judge in the case ruled the defamation
case can go forward to trial. The defendants are taking a
big risk not settling with Pebbles, who has sued them for
$40,000,000.
Pebbles is the former founder and manager of
the most successful female singing group in history, TLC.
The VH1 network made a television movie of the group's life
that drew 5,000,000 viewers in its first airing. Subsequent
re-airings were viewed by millions more people. The
defamation was widespread and made Pebbles the brunt of
hateful, threatening comments on social networking and
disparaging articles in the press and blogosphere.
TLC, L.A. Reid and Pebbles in the 1990s
The film was told from the perspective of
the group, who had fallen out with Pebbles years prior, over
a contract dispute. Pebbles named the group, trademarked it,
auditioned girls to be members and put hundreds of thousands
of dollars into making them a success. Pebbles, who was at
the top of the charts at the time, also used her music
industry contacts to get TLC the best producers,
songwriters, video directors and choreographers. Without
Pebbles, there would not have been a TLC.
Pebbles gave the group standard industry
contracts all new artists get. However, TLC accused Pebbles
of robbing them, which was demonstrably false and later
denied by her ex-husband, L.A. Reid, one of the co-founders
of LaFace Records, the label the group recorded for during
the prime years of their collective career.
TLC's television movie "CrazySexyCool"
L.A. Reid recently stated what the Judiciary
Report has maintained from 2013 regarding Clive Davis'
Arista Records/BMG reaping the lion's share of the money
from TLC (and other recording artists). Reid stated in
February 2016, "In fairness to her (Pebbles), she doesn't
collect the money from record sales. Record companies do
that. At that point, we were in a joint venture with Arista
and BMG. So if Pebbles is accused of not paying TLC, then
that means that I didn't pay her, which means that they
didn't pay me."
The movie was billed as a true story, not
the standard "based on a true story" or a fictionalized
retelling of events, which would grant some poetic license
and let viewers know the film contains fiction. Upon viewing
the film, there were historical inaccuracies and lies. Key
details unflattering to TLC were also left out of the
television biopic. The 40-plus page Pebbles lawsuit listed
15
lies and inconsistencies in the movie, illustrating she was
defamed. For example, lies contained in the movie are
Pebbles and TLC had the same lawyer and she controlled the
attorney, the group were only paid $25.00 per week, Pebbles
fired Chilli, T-Boz told Pebbles she had Sickle Cell prior
to signing her contract and asked her to put money before
her health, Pebbles did not furnish them with a copy of
their contracts, Pebbles was aware Chilli had an abortion
and was involved in her decision to do so. It's crazy that
they lied like this for a film.
Pebbles
VH1 and Viacom even made a retraction
stating the film was not a true story but "fictionalized"
version of events. However, to those who watched the film,
it was billed as a true story. Pebbles was greatly damaged
by the public hatred and illegal threats directed at her the
moment the film aired. VH1 and Viacom needs to be
financially penalized, via punitive damages, for being
reckless in what pushed Pebbles into a deep depression.
You shouldn't play with people's lives like
that because you feel you are in a position of authority to
film something that's been sensationalized and is not in
keeping with the truth. Pebbles and TLC had their
differences, but the movie was an inaccurate and unfair
retelling of what transpired. No due diligence was
done, as business records in the State of Georgia, court
documents from TLC's bankruptcy and the second filing of
group member Tionne Watkins (T-Boz), as well as label contracts they
have in their possession could have been used to develop a
clearer picture of what transpired. A deposition in Pebbles'
defamation lawsuit revealed the filmmakers relied solely on
T-Boz and Chilli's word on what transpired and used it
wholesale in the movie without fact checking.
Clive Davis and L.A. Reid. Music
industry experts know, Davis is the one who made the lion's
share of the money off TLC. However, Pebbles was made the
scapegoat.
The movie conveniently left out Atlanta
radio station reports of an argument between TLC member
Chilli and Pebbles over her cheating with then husband L.A.
Reid. The film was not properly researched nor did it use
independent industry insiders who could have given an
accurate picture of what was the standard in the music
industry at the time.
Former TLC member, the late Left Eye, real
name Lisa Lopes, went on to start her own production label,
emulating what Pebbles had done with her company Pebbitone.
Ironically, Lopes gave TLC look and sound alike group,
Blaque, the same type of deal Pebbles had given TLC. It
speaks volumes. The same type of record deal is in use in
the music industry today.
