Beyoncé Lemonade Lawsuit Dismissed In Court

A judge has reportedly dismissed filmmaker Matthew Fulks's claims that Beyoncé's visual album Lemonade lifted imagery his 2014 short film Palinoia. Fulks originally alleged that Beyoncé's team were aware of his work as he was approached to work with her label, Columbia, in 2015. Fulks cited specific elements from Palinoia that he recognised in Lemonade including “graffiti and persons with heads down,” “red persons with eyes obscured,” and “the grass scene.”

However, The Hollywood Reporter states that U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff took both sets of visuals into consideration and has dismissed the case yesterday, September 1. “Upon full consideration of the parties’ briefs and oral arguments, the Court grants defendants’ motion," he is quoted as saying. "A memorandum explaining the reasons for this ruling will issue in due course, at which time final judgment will be entered.”

Beyoncé's attorney's originally responded to Fulks in July by arguing that Lemonade is about “an African-American woman who progresses through stages of suspicion, denial, anger and, ultimately, reconciliation in her relationship," while Fulks’ film was about a “white man who is distressed in the wake of a failed relationship.”

The FADER has reached out to Beyoncé's representatives for comment. A trailer for Lemonade can be seen alongside the full Palinoia film below.