Let the games begin. The Young and the Restless' Victoria Rowell (ex-Drucilla Winters) and Sony Pictures and CBS Corp. appeared in court for the first time this week over a lawsuit the actress hurled at the TV giants in February.
The actress shared the news on Twitter, stating that in their first appearance, the defendants (CBS and Sony) brought forward their motion to have the case dismissed. "Rowell vs SONY, CBS, BELL, CORDAY 9/21 8:30a U.S.D.C. (Roybal) 244 temple St, Crtrm 750 on defendents motion to dismiss dru4diversity.com" she wrote.
As fans may recall, Rowell filed the lawsuit earlier this year in an attempt to reclaim her role as fan favorite character Drucilla, claiming that her civil rights had been violated and she experienced racism while she was a cast member and afterwards when the powers that be wouldn't rehire her on the show. Many fans are unclear as to why she thinks suing the network will lead to her getting her job back, but one thing is clear: She is hellbent on spreading her message that the network should hire more African Americans both in front of and behind the cameras.
CBS Corp. and Sony Pictures vehemently deny any wrongdoing and therefore moved to dismiss the case in May, claiming Rowell's suit is unconstitutional. Attorneys for the entertainment giants claimed that the actress' suit is "a blatant attempt by Plaintiff to force her way back onto a daytime television soap opera, after she voluntarily resigned from her role in 2007."
What's more, the memo stated that Rowell's claims are "barred as a matter of the law," stating, "Plaintiff boldly asks this District Court to order Defendants to put her back on television, and she complains about why she believes Defendants have not already done so. Her allegations, however, fail to state a cognizable claim against both Sony Pictures and CBS and are barred as a matter of law. Thus, Plaintiff's claims fail in their entirety and should be dismissed."
Stay tuned for more updates on this dramatic case as they come in.
Do you think CBS should be granted their motion to dismiss? Whose side are you on when it comes to this headline-grabbing lawsuit? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, on our message boards, or by submitting Feedback.
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