Tyler Perry Hit with Lawsuit Over ‘She The People’ Trademark

Tyler Perry’s latest comedy project, “She The People,” has landed him in legal trouble.

The acclaimed filmmaker, along with Netflix and actress Terri J. Vaughn, is facing a lawsuit over allegations that the series infringes on a trademark and draws heavily from a concept belonging to a Mississippi-based nonprofit, She the People.

Aimee Allison, the founder of the political advocacy group, filed the suit, claiming the series borrows content and themes from an unfinished documentary she had in development back in 2020.

According to Allison, she collaborated with Vaughn on the project, exchanging ideas and outlining potential themes for a documentary series under the She The People name.

She asserts that all creative materials and intellectual property from those discussions were to remain under her nonprofit’s control.

The lawsuit also alleges that Perry’s company, Tyler Vision, made an unsuccessful attempt to register its own She The People trademark in September, which was rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in April. Allison is seeking a jury trial to resolve the dispute.

“The Series echoes many of the same themes regarding Black women’s experiences in politics that Ms. Allison addresses through her activism under the SHE THE PEOPLE mark, albeit in a slightly different format,” the complaint states.

The Netflix series “She The People” follows Antoinette Dunkerson, portrayed by Terri J. Vaughn, who becomes a lieutenant governor candidate running a successful campaign and now must figure out how to thrive under a sexist and condescending governor while attempting to keep her family in line now that they’re all in the public eye.

The show explores themes of systemic racism, gender dynamics, and Southern politics. The first part of the series comprises eight episodes, with a second part scheduled for release on August 14, 2025.