K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup (November 4, 2025)

Sports:

• Seventeen years after losing the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship by a single point to Lewis Hamilton, the former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is now taking legal action. How Felipe Massa’s $80M ‘Crashgate’ Lawsuit Against F1 Affects Lewis Hamilton – Athlon Sports
• Three women fencers, including a member of the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, accused their sport’s national governing body of discriminating against them by allowing transgender female athletes to participate in women’s competitions. USA Fencing Let Trans Athletes In Women’s Events, Suit Says – Law360

NBA

• Charles Oakley must pay Madison Square Garden a little more than $642,000 for legal fees stemming from its pursuit of the former New York Knick’s deleted text messages in his battery suit against the arena, a federal magistrate judge ruled Friday, cutting down the arena’s requested $1.5 million. Ex-Knick Must Pay Madison Square Garden $642K Legal Fees – Law360

NCAA

• Objectors to the NCAA’s $2.8 billion player-pay settlement took the next step in their appeal, arguing that Title IX violations are unfair to female athletes. NCAA Accused of Unfairness in Appeal of $2.8 Billion Pay Deal – Bloomberg
• The city of Pasadena, California, and the Rose Bowl Operating Company have sued UCLA for allegedly trying to move its college football games from one of the sport’s most iconic stadiums to the much newer SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. UCLA faces lawsuit from Pasadena, Rose Bowl official over potentially moving games to SoFi Stadium – AP

Entertainment:

FILM & TELEVISION

• An actor from the first Terrifier movie sued the filmmakers in CA federal court, saying she is potentially owed millions of dollars in royalties and was subjected to sexual harassment and unsafe conditions during filming, including performing a nude scene without consent. ‘Terrifer’ Actress Sues for Unpaid Royalties, Nude Scene Without Consent
• Warner Bros. Television appealed a CA judge’s order that declined to toss a suit from the widow of writer Michael Crichton alleging its HBO Max show The Pitt is a ripoff of his NBC show ER, saying the court was wrong not to kill the suit on free speech grounds. ‘The Pitt’ Is Not “Derivative Of ER”, Warner Bros TV Says; Wants Lawsuit Tossed

MUSIC

• Universal Music Group NV signed an agreement with AI-powered music startup Udio to settle a copyright lawsuit and collaborate on a new commercial music creation and streaming service. AI Music Company Udio Settles Lawsuit With Universal Music Group
• Eminem’s music publishers say they have outlined a clear, straightforward infringement case against Meta Platforms for allegedly unlicensed use of the rapper’s music on social media platforms, urging a MI federal judge to reject what they characterized as a “dilatory” dismissal bid. Eminem’s Music Publishers Fight Meta’s Bid To Toss IP Suit – Law360

LAWSUITS OF THE RICH & FAMOUS

• A final judgment was entered in Justin Baldoni‘s $400 million defamation and extortion case against Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and The New York Times, according to court documents. Justin Baldoni Misses Deadline to Appeal Blake Lively Countersuit Dismissal
• R&B artist Kelly, 58, who is serving a 31-year sentence for sexually exploiting children and other crimes, saw his IL federal suit alleging prison officers leaked his private information to journalists and others dismissed due to his lawyers’ “glaring” failure to meet deadlines. R. Kelly’s Prison Leak Suit Tossed Again For Missed Deadlines – Law360