After Damon Dash slammed filmmaker Lee Daniels last week in a very public and awkward confrontation over $2 million he lent to him, Daniels told TMZ that he would make good and pay Dash back for his investment.
—Damon Dash sues Lee Daniels for $5 million and posts video receipts—
If you missed it, a viral video had the internet buzzing showed the Roc-A-Fella mogul all up in Daniels’ mug, facing off about an unrepaid loan that was allegedly used to fund projects including Precious, The Butler, The Woodsman, and The Paperboy. Dash said Daniels failed to name him as an executive producer and producer on The Woodsman as they agreed.
Dash angrily confronted Daniels at a Diana Ross concert of all places and it wasn’t pretty.
Dash can be heard telling Daniels, “As a black man, I gave you the money that you needed so how you not gonna pay me?”
Daniels eventually responds, “Damon, I’m going to give you your money.”
Daniels spoke to TMZ about how he felt when Dash approached him.
“Well, I was uncomfortable,” said Daniels about the public confrontation.
“It was a very uncomfortable thing. Here’s the thing: It made me think. I thought he was hurt, and it made me think because when nobody in Hollywood was giving me money … Damon’s crazy ass was crazy enough to give me money for “The Woodsman” and for “Shadowboxer.”
Daniels admits while he feels the money was an investment, he’s also compelled to pay Dash his cash back since nobody else in Hollywood was willing to take the risk.
“It was an investment, but I looked him in the eyes, and I told him that you would get your investment back,” he explained. “This Black man gave me money when nobody [would], not Disney, not Sony, not TriStar, not Paramount, not Warner Bros. He did it and for that he deserves his money. So I’m going to work out something for him to get it, because I am in a position now to get it to him, so I’m going to get it to him.”
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Daniels also graciously praised Dash for his success.
“I don’t know if I would be successful if it weren’t for him,” said Daniels.
“So for me, I had to really get quiet with myself to think that, you know, if it weren’t for him I wouldn’t have went on to make “The Butler” and or “Precious” and or “Empire.” He was part of my journey and for me to turn my back on that was wrong.”
“We’re going to squash it, and I feel good about it,” he added. “He needs it right now … If I’m looking at it from his perspective … And he’s looking at it as a loan, I would be angry I think. I don’t think I’d be angry enough to put a camera on me but to everybody each his own, and I have nothing but respect for that man for giving me that $2 million.”
With the verbal promise from Daniels, Dash is ready to move on and put the ordeal behind him.
“We’re good bro. Appreciate the honesty,” he captioned the TMZ video with Daniels in it. “Time to move forward. Let’s forget the bubble gum sh– and get the money.”