Why was Issa Rae sued? One of them days plagiarism lawsuit explained

Issa Rae faces a plagiarism lawsuit from three screenwriters in Los Angeles over her popular movie, One of Them Days.

The Chicago Defender reported that on Wednesday, July 30, screenwriters Tyrone Perry, Shon Oku, and Joshua Isaacson sued her production company, ColorCreative, along with Sony Pictures and TriStar, claiming they infringed on a script they wrote in 2020. Screenwriter Syreeta Singleton was also named in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims that the film, which stars SZA and Keke Palmer, has striking similarities to their 2020 script, including 29 similarities in character arcs, plot structure, and tone.

The allegations and lawsuit against Issa Rae explored:

Court documents state that the three writers shared their screenplay with Danny Hamouie early in 2023, and by April, they had sent it to producers Roman Arabia and Xavier Charles, who worked with Rae on her HBO series Insecure. However, the project never materialized as the producers declined to move forward with it.

As seen in court documents obtained by Complex, the trio claims that shortly after, Issa Rae announced her movie. To support their assertion that the films were eerily similar, the trio consulted veteran screenwriter John Brancato, known for Catwoman and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. After comparing the works, he said that the similarities were "substantial."

The three writers are now pursuing a jury trial, attorney's fees, and restitution. The Grio has reported that One of Them Days, directed by Lawrence Lamont, debuted in January 2025 and grossed over $51 million on a $14 million budget. It chronicles the tale of two roommates who fight against the odds to pay their rent. Deadline has reported that a sequel is currently in motion.

As of now, Issa Rae has not publicly responded to the lawsuit. However, in an interview with the Motion Pictures Association, she discussed the film's development, saying it took seven years from its initial concept during a lab program hosted by her company.

She also said that her inspiration came from the fact that it had been nearly three years since a Black, female-led buddy comedy film was released.

“When you see one, you’re like, ‘Why aren’t there more of these?’” Rae said. “Why hasn’t the last buddy comedy been since B.A.P.S.? … It’s been 30 years since we’ve had this, and if it works—why is it always considered a risk to do so?”

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