NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — The widow of Wu-Tang co-founder Ol’ Dirty Bastard filed suit against Wu-Tang Productions on Tuesday, claiming that his estate is owed at least $1 million in unpaid royalties.
ODB, whose legal name was Russell Tyrone Jones, was one of the original members of the Wu-Tang Clan as it rose to fame during the 1990s but died of a drug overdose in 2004.
According to Variety, Jones’ widow Icelene alleges that Wu-Tang Clan Productions failed to pay Jones’ estate royalties for a decade from 2011 to 2021, when it sent a check for $130,000.
The Estate also received some payments in 2019 and 2020 from Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., but according to the suit, the aggregate royalties paid during that time are far less than what is owed.
The suit also alleges that detailed accounting records were not provided to the state, despite repeated requests.
According to Variety, Wu-Tang productions is currently owned by Robert Diggs, who is better known as the hip-hop icon and producer RZA.
Through the suit, ODB’s estate is alleging breach of contract and seeks damages of at least $1 million plus interest and attorneys fees.
