Tyler Perry, Terri J. Vaughn sued for trademark infringement over new show ‘She The People’ 

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Copy Link

  Link Copied

When Tyler Perry’s new Netflix series, “She The People,” hit the streamer in late March, it seemed like another in the string of never-ending shows and ideas that Perry has been able to develop and churn out. The series is about Antoinette Dunkerson (Vaughn) and her family’s humorous political journey as Dunkerson runs for and is elected as the Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi.  

Well, according to a lawsuit filed before the series debuted on Netflix, several themes and ideas from the show, including its very title, were taken from a documentary series that a political action group called She The People was developing with Vaughn. 

Aimee Allison, who is the founder of She The People, is suing Tyler Perry, Terri J. Vaughn, Perry’s production company, and a litany of other people, claiming that the show “uses information from a documentary that was never finished and infringes on a nonprofit’s trademark.”

Also Read:
Sinbad returns to acting five years after stroke in Tyler Perry’s ‘Straw’

According to Allison, in 2020, the group hired Nina Holiday Entertainment Inc. to create a documentary about the Mississippi organization. At the time, they said they spoke with Vaughn, believing that she was a part of the production company. Further, Allison claims that they worked on the documentary’s themes, spoke with people, and even intended to call the documentary “She The People.” 

She The People is a group intended to support women of color who run for office or take part in other political pursuits. Allison’s suit alleges that the Netflix show “echoes many of the same themes regarding Black women’s experiences in politics that Ms. Allison addresses through her activism.”

Allison also claims that Perry attempted to trademark the name “She The People” in September 2024 but was denied the mark in April 2025. 

As of yet, neither Perry nor Vaughn has publicly commented on or responded to the lawsuit. 

Also Read:
‘Sinners’ puts ‘truth on screen’ for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians