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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Country Music Biopic
31 Mar
Summary
- A lawsuit claiming 'George & Tammy' negatively portrayed George Richey was dismissed.
- The judge ruled the plaintiff lacked legal interest in the alleged unjust enrichment.
- The case was refiled after an initial dismissal but was permanently dismissed on Monday.
A lawsuit filed in 2024 accusing the Showtime series "George & Tammy" of negatively portraying George Richey, husband of country singer Tammy Wynette, has been permanently dismissed. The judge, Stephanos Bibas, issued a ruling on Monday, March 30, 2026, permanently dismissing the case. This follows an initial dismissal last year, where the judge allowed the plaintiff, Sheila Slaughter Richey, to amend her claims.
Sheila Richey had alleged the series depicted her late husband as abusive and manipulative, and that the show's producers were unjustly enriched by violating a 2019 legal settlement. This settlement involved Wynette's daughter, Georgette Jones, who promised not to make disparaging statements about Richey. The lawsuit argued that since "George & Tammy" was based on Georgette's memoir, Showtime profited from her alleged breach of agreement.
However, Judge Bibas found that Sheila Richey failed to meet the stringent legal standards for an unjust-enrichment claim. The judge emphasized that the plaintiff must demonstrate an interest in the benefit conferred upon the defendant. In this instance, Sheila Richey had not shown any stake in what Showtime allegedly gained from Georgette Jones's actions. The court indicated that the primary dispute was between Sheila Richey and Georgette Jones.
