Damon Dash Will Get His $2 Million Back Says Lee Daniels: ‘It’s the Right Thing to Do’ [VIDEO]
Lee Daniels went viral last week and it wasn't for his hit TV show Empire. The Hollywood executive was confronted by Damon Dash over $2 million investment that's owed to him.
The viral clip features Daniels at a Diana Ross concert and the former Roc-A-Fella Records executive all up in his grill demanding that he gets his money back. Later, Dash went on his Instagram page and called Daniels a “culture vulture.”
"[He's] a true definition of a culture vulture," he wrote. "I straight up loaned this dude Lee Daniels 2 million to pay for his dream of being a director...it was the money I was using to fund my movies and stay [indie]. He promised I get my money back in months...then he makes precious and goes missing so he doesn’t have to pay me...then then Butler...empire...same s---."
Dash also slapped Daniels with a $5 million lawsuit to make sure he gets every coin from the acclaimed filmmaker back.
In an interview with TMZ’s Raquel Harper of Raq’s Rants, Daniels reflected on the confrontation and acknowledges that he was in the wrong. “I was uncomfortable,” he said of incident. “It was a very uncomfortable thing, and here’s the thing: it made me think.”
“When nobody in Hollywood was giving me money after my Academy Award...Damon’s crazy ass was craziest enough to give me money for The Woodsman and for Shadowboxer," he continued.
Daniels feels that since Dash was an early investor of his movie projects, he deserves restitution. “I looked him in the eyes, and I told him that 'you would get your investment back.' This black man gave me money when nobody - not Disney, not Sony, not TriStar, not Paramount, not Warner Bros - for a film. He did it, and so for that, he deserves his money,” Daniels said.
"So I'm going to work out something for him because I'm in the position now to give it to him, because that's the right thing to do," he continued. "He believe in me when nobody else did... and for that he's deserves it. But we are going to squash it. I have nothing but respect for that man for giving me that $2 million."
In response, Dame told TMZ that he's cool with Lee and he doesn't harbor any ill-feelings towards him. "We're good bro...appreciate the honesty...time to move forward let's forget the bubble gum shit and get the money," he said.
There's no word if Damon Dash will terminate his $5 million lawsuit against Lee Daniels.
Watch Lee Daniels Talk About His Confrontation with Damon Dash
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