ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge in Atlanta has tossed out a lawsuit filed against rapper Nicki Minaj by her former wig designer.
In a lawsuit in February, Terrence Davidson accused Onika Maraj, who uses the stage name “Nicki Minaj,” and Pink Personality LLC of breaking implied contracts, reneging on discussions to launch a reality TV show and a wig line, and misappropriating his designs.
Lawyers for Minaj filed a motion in May to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Davidson failed to state a valid claim.
U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy on Tuesday did just that. He agreed that Davidson did not state viable claims against Minaj and Pink Personality.
A lawyer for Davidson did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Thursday.
Davidson, who lives in Georgia, said in the lawsuit that he began working as Minaj’s hair stylist in early 2010. He created multiple wigs for the rapper, known for her flamboyant hairpieces, that she wore to a preshow for MTV’s Video Music Awards, during media appearances in London and for the music video “SuperBass.”
Davidson said he turned down a contract for a reality TV show at the urging of a Minaj representative. At the time, Davidson said he was discussing doing a joint reality show with Minaj and launching a line of wigs with the music star. But months passed, and Davidson said Minaj and her team shut him out. He stopped working as her stylist in early 2013.
He said Minaj took his designs without his consent and used them to start her own wig line.
Minaj’s lawyers countered that Davidson “is upset because he lost his most famous client” and was seeking to force himself into a business relationship that Minaj and Pink Personality developed without him to get money from them that he didn’t earn.
The judge wrote in his order that the verbal promises of future business Davidson said he got from Minaj and her team were too vague and that it was unreasonable for Davidson to rely on them as a done deal.
The judge also wrote that Davidson claims his wigs are distinctive because of their design and color and that there’s no evidence that he made any attempt to connect them to himself in the public mind or that anyone was confusing the wigs sold by him with wigs sold by Minaj.
