In another legal battle for Dame Dash, the filmmaker reportedly has been ordered to turn over his tax returns so the court may analyze his assets as another filmmaker attempts to collect funds he claims are owed to him. A judge ordered Dash to turn over returns for 2021 and 2022.
In 2022, filmmaker Josh Webber won $805,000 in damages in a copyright infringement and defamation lawsuit against Dash. The award to Webber and Muddy Water Pictures is as follows: $30,000 for copyright infringement; $125,000 in punitive damages; $400,000 in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages.
The Lawsuit
Dash, who once had a net worth of $50 million, reportedly has just $100,000 to his name.
Webber and his production company, Muddy Water Pictures, sued Dash because Webber claimed Dash falsely named himself as the producer for Webber’s then-upcoming film “Dear Frank.”
Dear Damon
In 2016, Webber hired Dash to co-direct the crime thriller, but he was fired two years later after allegedly repeatedly being high on the set. Despite no longer being involved in the film, Webber claimed Dash pitched the film to several studios and TV networks, including BET. Dash, Webber claimed, renamed the film “The List.”
In 2019, the Webber filed his lawsuit, with the award being granted in 2022. Three years have passed since the judgment, and Dash hasn’t paid the judgment of $805,000.
“Dear Frank” was released on Nov. 10, 2019, and starred Brian White, Claudia Jordan, Columbus Short, Kearia Schroeder, Nicholas Turturro, Torrei Hart, rapper Lil Durk and Don Scribner. The movie was ultimately directed by Josh Webber and Brian White.
Dash’s Side
“I was going to deal with this later but I guess I’ll have to deal with it now…this is the movie the list #thelist that I directed and produced about a year ago… @muddfilms is pretending he owns this film and @joshawebber (pure culture vulture) is pretending he directed this movie,” Dame vented a now-deleted post on Instagram in 2019, Complex reported.
According to the Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder, Webber sued him because he was about to sue Webber and his production company.
Dash argued that he was partially responsible for the film because the movie was filmed at his Sherman Oaks property. Dash alleged that the film equipment used belonged to him and that the footage taken at his place was unauthorized.
Ruh Roh