Limo Driver Sues Post Malone: Was He Promised $10M for a Video Appearance?
POST MALONE'S TROUBLE WITH TOMMY LEE: FORMER LIMOUSINE DRIVER SUES RAPPER OVER UNPAID APPEARANCE IN MUSIC VIDEO
In a shocking turn of events, Larry Deuel, the limousine driver who made a cameo appearance in Post Malone's 2020 music video "Tommy Lee," has filed a lawsuit against the rapper and his collaborators, Tyla Yaweh, Sony Music Entertainment, and others. Deuel claims he was promised payment for his appearance but never received it, and is now seeking damages of over $2.5 million.
The drama began when Deuel, a high school teacher who moonlights as a limousine driver, was hired to drive Malone and Yaweh to the rapper's ranch for the music video shoot. According to the lawsuit, filed in Utah's Fourth District Court on October 17, Malone and Yaweh convinced Deuel to appear in the video, assuring him he would be "taken care of." But when it came time to pay up, Deuel claims Malone and his team reneged on their promise.
The lawsuit alleges that Deuel's appearance in the music video was crucial to its success, helping to drive home the central theme of wealth, power, and privilege. In fact, the documents claim that without Deuel's presence, the video would have been "visually underwhelming." The limousine driver appears several times in the video, rolling out a red carpet, opening doors for Yaweh, and standing beside the luxury vehicle as the musician sings and dances.
But despite his important role in the video, Deuel claims he was never compensated for his appearance. In fact, he alleges that Malone and Yaweh's promises of payment were nothing more than empty lies designed to exploit his image and likeness for commercial gain.
"Defendants exploited and appropriated Mr. Deuel’s name, image, or likeness for their commercial gain without his consent or approval," the lawsuit claims. "The official music video of Tommy Lee, including remixes, featuring Mr. Deuel’s artistic performance and his name, image, and likeness has contributed to the overwhelming commercial success of the song Tommy Lee, resulting in hundreds of millions of streams and downloads."
Deuel's lawyers argue that he retains full legal rights to his name, image, and likeness, and that Malone and Yaweh have misappropriated and exploited them for their own benefit. The lawsuit seeks principal damages of $2.5 million, punitive damages of $7.5 million, attorney fees of $25,000, and more.
When asked for comment, representatives from Sony Music Entertainment, Malone, 30, and Yaweh, 30, failed to respond in time for publication.
TheScholarlyNote.com has learned that Deuel made several attempts to resolve the dispute with Malone and his team without going to court. However, when he tried to deliver a letter of demand from his lawyers, Malone's security detail allegedly laughed at him and refused to accept service.
This is not the first time Post Malone has faced controversy over unpaid appearances. In 2020, the rapper was sued by a production company for allegedly failing to pay for a music video shoot in Los Angeles.
TheScholarlyNote.com will continue to follow this story as it develops.
