Bill Nye, known as the Science Guy, is taking legal action against Disney.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dalila Lyons has granted Bill Nye the permission to sue Disney in a profit dispute for an alleged $28 million in damages. Bill Nye claims that Disney has not accurately reported and withheld a significant portion of the profits from his popular 90s show, Bill Nye, the Science Guy. Disney has dismissed the case as an “accounting spectacle.”
Judge Lyons has restricted the potential amount Bill Nye can be awarded from the lawsuit, a decision that has not been well-received by Nye’s legal team. In a statement, Nye’s lawyers expressed disappointment with the court’s ruling and the legal basis it was founded on but are looking forward to continuing the case at trial.
The lawsuit was initiated in 2017 following an agreement made in 1993 between one of Disney’s subsidiaries, Buena Vista, and Bill Nye and the show’s owners. According to the terms of the agreement, the series was to be sold to local television stations, with Nye and the owners entitled to half of the revenues generated. Even with limited access to the financial records, an audit revealed that Nye is owed more than $9 million in royalty payments. He is now seeking not only the owed money but also additional punitive damages and legal fees.
