National Football League

Former NFL WR Antonio Brown sues movie producer, says he hasn't been paid

Published Dec. 19, 2023 11:49 a.m. ET

Here's a twist: Former NFL receiver Antonio Brown is suing someone for not paying him as expected.

Brown has made headlines for numerous instances of being accused of not paying people for contracted work — chefs, movers, personal trainers — but now he's the one claiming he has been shorted.

A lawsuit filed in Broward County, Florida, last month seeks action against movie producer James Masciello, claiming that a production company entered into an agreement to pay Brown $2 million for a documentary-style TV show ("Untitled Antonio Brown Project") in association with Netflix.

The lawsuit is also against a "Happy or Right? LLC," though there are no public records of such a company. Masciello's address in the lawsuit is for Raven & Company, formerly Raven Capital Management, a billion-dollar private equity firm where he was listed as a principal and portfolio manager.

The suit includes an agreement from 2021 that shows Brown was to be paid $250,000 initially from a guaranteed $2 million. If the show's production budget exceeded $5 million, he would get 40% of that total, plus 20% of the "creative share" of "net proceeds."

The suit asks for documents showing any agreement between Masciello and Netflix, writing that Brown "shall furnish the day, time and hour that respond (sic) will pay the final fixed fee." It also seeks the names of people with firsthand knowledge of the agreement between Brown and Masciello.

An email seeking comment from Raven & Company — Masciello is no longer listed among the executive leaders there — was not immediately returned. The original contract, signed in September 2021 and included in Brown's lawsuit, stipulates that payment is on the condition that "subject performs all required services and is not in material breach, and subject to Producer's customary rights to suspension and termination."

Brown hasn't played in the NFL since 2021. He took off his jersey, pads and shirt as he left the field in the middle of his last game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom he won a Super Bowl in the 2020 season. Brown had seven Pro Bowl nods and was a four-time first-team All-Pro selection with the Steelers before finishing his career with brief stays with the Raiders, Patriots and Bucs.

Greg Auman is FOX Sports' NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.