Post Malone & Tyla Yaweh Sued For $10M By Limo Driver Who Appeared In Music Video
Post Malone and Tyla Yaweh are facing a lawsuit from a limo driver who appeared in their 2020 music video for the song “Tommy Lee,” claiming he’s owed millions from the stars over the shoot.
In a complaint filed late Friday in a Utah court, Larry Deuel says that after he was hired to drive the singer and to Malone’s ranch, the stars asked him to take part in the shoot – allegedly promising he’d be “taken care of” afterward.
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But Deuel says he was never paid for the cameo, and that he never gave Malone the right to use his likeness in the video. He claims he’s owed a whopping $10 million, accusing Malone and others of fraudulent inducement, misappropriation, breach of contract and other forms of wrongdoing.
“Defendants exploited and appropriated Mr. Deuel’s name, image, or likeness for their commercial gain without his consent or approval,” the driver’s lawyers write in the lawsuit, obtained by Billboard.
Released in June 2020 by Yaweh with Malone as a featured artist, “Tommy Lee” was the debut single off Yaweh’s second studio album Rager Boy. It was also his first on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 65 and spending several weeks on the chart.
The music video, filmed on Malone’s Utah Ranch, shows the two riding ATVs and performing with mountains behind them. Near the beginning, a limo arrives in that unusual setting, with a driver – apparently portrayed by Deuel – unrolling a red carpet as the Yaweh exits. The driver and the limo are repeatedly seen throughout the video.
In his complaint on Friday, Deuel says his role in the video was “crucial” but that he had not given consent for the appearance and “was never compensated” for his contributions.
“Absent Mr. Deuel’s presence in Tommy Lee, the theme of wealth, power, fame, privilege, and success would have been visually underwhelming, supported only by two unkempt musicians smoking blunts riding ATVs in a dirt field,” his lawyers write.
Reps for both Malone and Yaweh could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.
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