A settlement was reached in a lawsuit filed by a woman against a music arranger for the Oscar-winning film "Dreamgirls" over her allegations that he failed to pay child support for their young son, the plaintiff's lawyer said. The lawsuit was filed in April 2007 in Los Angeles Superior Court by Sarai Tennille Torres against Damon Thomas. She is the 28-year-old mother of his 3-year-old son, Dimas Thomas. She also sued Thomas' two companies, Underdog Entertainment and Red Creek Entertainment Inc., as defendants.
She alleged both companies were used by the producer to divert money to him that she and their son should have received. Instead of honoring Torres' claims for child support, Underdog Entertainment has paid Thomas more than $2.54 million since January 2005, according to her lawsuit.
"We're pleased with the results and it's nice to have the case take care of itself," Torres' lawyer, Brian Oxman, said of the settlement.
Oxman said the terms of the case resolution are confidential. Pierre Pine, a lawyer for Underdog Entertainment, was not immediately available for comment. Oxman said a paternity case involving requests by Torres for child support that is separate from the civil lawsuit will continue for now and that it is unclear what effect the settlement of the civil lawsuit will have on it.
Last month, Thomas and a car leasing company settled a lawsuit that alleged he defaulted on payments totaling nearly $475,000 for three luxury cars and refused to return the vehicles. Elegante Leasing Ltd. of Oceanside, N.Y., filed the lawsuit Aug. 8 in Los Angeles Superior Court against Thomas, who was married to socialite Kim Kardashian from 2000-2004. Elegante Leasing was asking for payment of the alleged delinquent lease payments, as well as a return of the three cars leased to Thomas in May 2007–a 2002 Ferrari 360 Spyder, a 2005 Bentley GT coupe and a 2005 Lamborghini Murcielago roadster. Thomas defaulted on his payments for the cars in April and June of this year, according to the suit.
