Tayari's Blog: Ouch. Deborah Gregory's Sad Story

Posted by TayariJones on February 13, 2008 01:07 PM
Filed under The Writing Life

I met Deborah Gregory about a million years ago at the very start of my writing career. I was about twenty-six at my first paying gig at a community college in Baltimore. She was on a panel talking about "The Cheetah Girls" and also liposuction. All I remember is that she was dressed from the rooter-to-the-tooter in cheetah patterned clothing and I thought "what is THAT all about?" Well, it was about The Cheetah Girls, a gizzlion-dollar empire based on Gregory's books. Apparently Disney is making all the money. (and I mean ALL of it.)

Gregory said she's pocketed $125,000 over the last nine years in option fees and payments for her title as co-producer of the movies. Although she's asked for them, she has never gotten "net profit participation statements" from Disney, spelling out details of expenses and revenues. If anyone is getting rich on this formidable franchise, Gregory noted, it's not the woman who created it.

Here is the GalleyCat quick-and-dirty summation and the longer article in the LA Times. And just in the interest of keeping it real, you have to make note that Black Enterprise called foul way back last year.

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There are 2 comments on "Ouch. Deborah Gregory's Sad Story". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.

Comment #1, by carleen [TypeKey Profile Page]

Yowza, yowza! A cautionary tale!

February 13, 2008 08:09 PM

Comment #2, by Ladylee [TypeKey Profile Page]

Once again... it's all about the money. Every time. ~sigh~

February 14, 2008 09:10 AM

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