Faizon Love accuses Universal Studios of ‘blatant racism’ in lawsuit over ‘Couples Retreat’ movie poster
Faizon Love is accusing Universal Studios of “blatant racism,” saying it cut him out of a poster for the 2009 movie “Couples Retreat” and then made false promises it would correct the omission.
The Black actor and his onscreen partner Kali Hawk portrayed the only nonwhite couple in the film about a marriage-mending resort.
They were pictured in the U.S. poster for the flick but were late whitewashed out of the international version that’s still in use today, the new lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court states.
The box office hit also starred prominent white actors Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Kristen Bell, Kristen Davis and Malin Akerman — the six stars not cut from the international poster.
In his 45-page complaint obtained by the Daily News, Love says he was “aghast to discover” a decade ago that Universal “had excised him and the motion picture’s only other Black actor” from the overseas poster.
Love, 52, says he reached out to Universal to “engage” over the issue and was “promised both the immediate cessation of the racist international poster, and prompt recompense … in the form of lucrative, career-making film roles.”
The roles never materialized, and the offending poster is still being used today, not just internationally but now domestically as well, Love claims in the lawsuit.
“As far as Universal was concerned, its contract meant nothing, its promises to correct its egregious behavior meant nothing, and its pledges to Faizon Love meant nothing,” Love’s lead attorney Eric George said in a statement.
“This is not merely a breach of contract and good faith,” George said, “it is nothing less than a deliberate act of racism on the part of Universal Studios at the highest levels.”
He said Universal “lied” to Love when it claimed the omission of the Black actors was “unintentional.” He instead called it an “intentional act” of “discriminatory treatment.”
Attempts to reach a spokesperson for Universal were not immediately successful Wednesday.
The suit includes claims of fraud, breach of written contract and violation of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.
