A “Hustle & Flow” actress is suing a production company formed by the late director John Singleton, saying she is owed contingent compensation from the 2005 film he co-produced.
Taryn Manning’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against Crunk Pictures LLC alleges breach of contract and seeks an accounting. She maintains that under a May 2004 agreement with Crunk Pictures she is entitled to “1% of 100% of the net profits derived from exploitation of the picture.” Manning alleges she is owed at least $812,245 in the suit brought Friday. A Crunk Pictures representative could not be immediately reached.
Manning’s accountant and attorney contacted various people about the money she is allegedly owed and a Crunk representative said on Sept. 21 that the company “does not owe plaintiff anything in connection with the picture,” the suit states. The 43-year-old Manning is best known for portraying Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett in the Netflix original series, “Orange Is the New Black.”
“Hustle & Flow” starred Terrence Howard as a Memphis hustler and pimp who aspired to become a rapper. The movie was an Academy Award for best original song for, “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp.’ The film was produced by Singleton and Stephanie Allain. Singleton, who founded Crunk Pictures in 2004, died in April 2019 of a stroke at age 51.
