Bones leads Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz -- as well as Kathy Reichs, author of the original Bones books -- say that Fox Studios has cheated them out of "tens of millions in profits" over the years, Variety reports.
[seealso slug="bones-thanksgiving-sneak-peek"]
Producer Barry Josephson has filed suit as well. He, Boreanaz, Deschanel and Reichs claim that Fox “has engaged in a systematic and pervasive effort to cheat” them out of the profits they are rightfully due.
Reichs was originally told that she would be entitled to five percent of the series' profits, while stars Boreanaz and Deschanel, who have led Bones for over ten years, were entitled to three percent each. But as of 2010, Reichs was $90 million away from receiving her proper profit payments, while the actors were $100 million away.
The lawsuit posits that Fox set imputed license fees without consulting Reichs, Boreanaz or Deschanel, thereby limiting the amount of revenue they'd be able to claim. When the plaintiffs were first made aware of this, the studio discussed the fees with them "under the threat of canceling the series unless plaintiffs accepted its non-negotiable license fee figure, and then concealed information about the true value of that figure.”
Mashable has reached out to Fox for comment.