PHILADELPHIA (CN) - Producer Michael McQuarn persuaded Howard Family Productions to invest in a reality television series featuring the rapper "Aaddict," but became distracted with other projects and blew most of the investment on "wasteful dinners and unrelated entertainment," the production company claims in Philadelphia County Court.
Howard Family Productions, owned by George Howard III, Austine Howard and Russell "Aaddict" Howard, claims McQuarn reneged on multiple agreements to pay back their investments.
McQuarn and his production company allegedly told HFP that he would make the Aaddict show a priority, but soon became tied up with another reality show featuring rapper DMX. The DMX show was being produced by Edmonds Entertainment Group, a company owned by McQuarn's sister, Tracey McQuarn Edmonds, and her ex-husband, Kenneth Edmonds, better known as the R&B singer Babyface.
McQuarn and his company allegedly burned through HFP's first $85,000 investment and asked the plaintiff for another $75,000, promising a 5 percent interest in the DMX show as security. But McQuarn never repaid HFP its investment or gave it a cut of the profits when BET bought the DMX show, the lawsuit claims.
HFP says McQuarn spent most of the money on frivolous entertainment, filmed "unnecessary and uninteresting" footage, and never hired the celebrities he promised to help promote the show, including Lil Kim, Babyface, Jay-Z and Irv Gotti.
The producer allegedly said he could "make it right" if HFP loaned him an additional $250,000 for a made-for-cable television series called "Black Pokers Stars Invitational." After repaying all but $18,191, McQuarn again asked HFP for money and "raised the specter of usury" over the $250,000 loan in order to get the next $125,000 loan, the lawsuit claims.
The plaintiffs say McQuarn and his entities still owe them a total of more than $287,000.
Defendants include Nickie Shapira, Michael McQuarn Productions, 8th Wonder Entertainment, BET Productions IV, Tracey McQuarn Edmonds, Babyface and Edmonds Entertainment Group.
Plaintiffs are represented by Paul Rosen with Spector Gadon & Rosen P.C.
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