While everyone else is kicking back and enjoying the new hit drama Empire, Iman Shumpert has a major problem with the show, which he is accusing of using him and his girlfriend as the templates for two characters.
Shumpert recently told Cleveland.com that he refuses to watch the show because the characters Hakeem and Tiana, who are dating in the show, bear such a striking resemblance to him and his girlfriend, R&B singer Teyana Taylor.
“They’re using my girl’s character, her style, her look and she’s not getting anything for it,” Shumpert said. “They didn’t even change her name. They could have at least let my girl audition for the part instead of stealing her character completely.
“And come on man, they’re really using a guy with a flat top like me. Come on. That’s ridiculous. They never called us. We were blindsided. We found out by our family and fans when the show aired.”
The Cavaliers guard said that many fans have pointed out the similarities, although the show’s producers have not commented on the accusations.
This article originally appeared on SI.com
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