Marvin Gaye’s Son Claims ‘Empire’ Was His Idea and Is Suing Fox

Marvin Gaye's son is claiming that Fox's hit show Empire was his idea and he has no qualms with suing over the matter.

According to TMZ, Marvin Gaye III said that he registered a treatment on a show entitled "Diamonds & Ballads," also known as "Those Sons of Riches!" with the Writers Guild of America. Gaye III says he made these moves back in 2010 and the treatment describes a family much like the one we see on Empire. The family is loosely based on the lives of his and Berry Gordy's families and is "a music based 'Black' and 'hip' version of 'Dynasty' with a little 'Sopranos.'"

Gaye was reportedly shopping the idea around with various television executives. According to Gaye III, his treatment got in the hands of the wrong people who are associated with Empire co-creator Lee Daniels. He points to Daniels' comments where he said he wanted to make a "Black 'Dynasty'" similar to "The Sopranos" as proof that Daniels stole the idea. Gaye's lawyers apparently plan to file a lawsuit against Daniels, Fox and others, telling TMZ, "We understand that three things can't be hidden for long: the Sun, the Moon and the Truth!"

The Gaye family does not play when it comes to protecting their rights. Earlier this year, Marvin Gaye's estate won a legal dispute with Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over the pair's "Blurred Lines" track featuring T.I. According to the Gaye family, Thicke and Pharrell copied Marvin Gaye's popular 1977 track, "Got to Give it Up." Thicke and Williams were ordered to pay the family $7.3 million, but they plan to appeal.