Actor and comedian Alfonso Ribeiro became the latest celebrity to file a lawsuit against Fortnite creator Epic Games over the appropriation of a famous dance move, with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star taking particular issue with their use of the 'Carlton Dance' in the game. In light of the lawsuit, a video of Alfonso detailing the origins of the dance has resurfaced via TMZ.
In 2012, he said that he "stole" the dance from Friends star Courteney Cox and Eddie Murphy, explaining that it was "a combo of all that with a little bit of me mixed in." He admits that he was inspired by Cox's dance in Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" video, sort of combining it with Eddie Murphy's impression of a white man dancing. While his use of the word "stole" sounds more like a joke in this context, TMZ believes this could hurt his chances in court.
"It is widely recognized that Mr. Ribeiro’s likeness and intellectual property have been misappropriated by Epic Games in the most popular video game currently in the world, Fortnite,” Alfonso Ribeiro's lawyer David Hecht told TMZ upon announcing the lawsuit on Monday. "Epic has earned record profits off of downloadable content in the game, including emotes like 'Fresh.' Yet Epic has failed to compensate or even ask permission from Mr. Ribeiro for the use of his likeness and iconic intellectual property."
He's not the only one seeking damages from Epic Games, with Backpack Kid suing Epic Games and 2K over the use of his 'Floss' dance, while 2 Milly is also suing Epic Games for their use of his Milly Rock dance.
