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Bill Nye, the ‘Science Guy,’ Sues Disney for $37 Million

Aug 25, 2017  •  Post A Comment

TV presenter, engineer and science educator William Nye — widely known as “Bill Nye the Science Guy” — has filed a fraud suit against Disney that some media outlets are valuing at more than $37 million.

“Bill filed docs Thursday in L.A., saying Disney — which marketed and distributed his show — cut him a check in 2008 for back-end profits,” TMZ reports. “The check was for $585k, but a couple months later he says Disney drastically changed it’s story … and claimed he needed to return $496,000!

“According to the docs, Disney told Bill it made an accounting error, and informed him he wouldn’t get any future checks until it recouped the $496k.”

The exchange reportedly made Nye suspicious, and he subsequently called for an audit of Disney’s books, which was conducted in 2016.

“In the docs, Bill says the auditor found he’d been shorted by $9.3 mil since signing his deal in 1993,” TMZ reports. “Bill’s now retained attorneys at Hamrick & Evans to get his dough.”

Deadline notes that the value of the suit could turn out to be much higher, reporting that Nye “is suing the Walt Disney Company and a host of its subsidiaries … for more than $37 million, alleging he didn’t receive his fair share of the net profits generated by his long-running series ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy.'”

The Deadline report quotes the 28-page complaint, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court: “Plaintiff is informed and believes and thereon alleges that as a direct and proximate result of the Defendants’ breach of fiduciary duty, Plaintiff has suffered damages in the amount of not less than Nine Million Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Five Hundred Sixty dollars (USD$9,350,565.00), the final amount to be proven at trial.”

The complaint, as quoted by Deadline, then adds: “Plaintiff is further informed and believes and thereon alleges that the Defendants, by breaching their fiduciary duties, enriched themselves, at the expense of the Plaintiff and the BNSG Owners, obtaining ill-gotten profits of not less than Twenty Eight Million Fifty One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Five dollars (USD$28,051,695.00).”

6 Comments

  1. Would it be too much to hope that they both lose?

  2. DISNEY LAUNCHES NEW FILM, “PIRATES OF HOLLYWOOD”

    Disney is launching a long anticipated sequel to the their huge hit movie franchise and film series, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” …
    the modern day film, the “Pirates of Hollywood” is a for real showcase on how studios like Disney pirate artists like Bill Nye … “it is surely going to be the biggest hit in years” stated John Beard, the editor of “Blackbeard Journal” … he further added, “I am thrilled to see modern day pirates in the film industry finally get a feature film of their own.”
    – Rumors of Bill Nye appearing in the film have yet to be confirmed by this time!

  3. The ironic part is that if Disney hadn’t been so greedy that they demanded the $496k, Nye would never have audited. Disney’s greed will cost them millions now, even if they settle.

  4. Bill WHO?

    • Bill Nye, the accomplished scientist, engineer, educator and television personality who has been swimming against the tide for decades by trying to provide American kids with actual information, in contrast to the advertising, pandering and horse shit they’re inundated with every second they’re watching virtually any show other than his. He does more in 30 minutes on TV to try to fire up the intellectual curiosity of a probably-already-too-late-to-save generation of kids than anyone else in the business, and he’s on track to finally be well-compensated for his efforts thanks to this lawsuit.
      Do you think your weak attempt at a “wise” crack says more about Bill Nye … or you?

  5. Disney could offer him a 10 year pass to Disneyland, costs about as much as he is us suing for…

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