TYLER PERRY WINS ONE

Tyler Perry cops a win.



The Actor-screenwriter has emerged victorious in a federal copyright infringement lawsuit brought against him by a woman claiming his film "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" was based on her play.

Jurors in Marshall, Texas found that Donna West did not provide enough evidence to support her claim, according to the Associated Press. In her lawsuit filed in May 2007, West argued that Perry could've lifted material from her play "Fantasy of a Black Woman" when it was performed three times in 1991 in Dallas, or gained access to the script in 1998 when he presented his plays at the Dallas Black Academy of Arts and Letters.

"We are very pleased that the jurors understood that Tyler Perry is an incredibly talented person who has no need to copy the work of others," attorney Veronica Lewis relayed in a statement.

West, who lives in North Texas, asked for damages and profits made from Perry's 2005 film, which earned some $50 million in theaters. Her attorneys plan to seek a new trial.

GV Says: Get a job lady!

TYLER PERRY OPENS NEW FILM STUDIO

Tyler Perry unveiled his new multi-million dollar TV and film studio in Atlanta this Saturday among friends.


Tyler and his date for the evening actress Gelila Bekele

Other celebs for the night included Sidney Poitier


The occassion brought Oprah to tears

Will Smith

Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe....talk about a handsome couple

Doesn't Tasha Smith look fab!

Patti Patti in her usual over-done look


Star

Terri Vaughn...I really like this mix of casual meets formal.

Holly Robinson Peete

ANTM Eva (Pigford) and her man Lance

Tracey Edmonds


The sprawling complex includes more than 200,000 square feet of studio and office space and sits on 30 acres that once housed Delta Air Lines' finance, reservation and computer center. Perry will shoot his TBS sitcoms "House of Payne" and "Meet the Browns" along with other film projects at the studio, reports the Associated Press.

Perry, 39, said the studio features five sound stages that will be named after Quincy Jones, Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Cicely Tyson — with one still unnamed.

Still, while celebs were celebrating, protesters from the Writers Guild picketed outside against his firing of four writers on his series "House of Payne." The Writers Guild of America West filed an unfair-labor-practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Perry after his studio fired four writers for the TBS comedy “House of Payne” who were seeking union representation.

Jeff Hermanson, an assistant executive director for the Writers Guild, said the four writers — Kellie Griffin, Christopher Moore, Teri Brown-Jackson and Lamont Ferrell — had sought a union contract because they felt they were underpaid and lacked benefits.

Perry maintains the writers were let go because of the quality of their work.

TYLER PERRY DEBUTS THE FAMILY THAT PREYS

Tyler Perry and cast came out for the premiere of his new film The Family that Preys in NY (hits theatres Friday).



Taraji P. Henson, Sanaa Lathan, Alfre Woodard. Although Taraji looks like the hooch of the group, this look works for her. Sanaa looks adorable.

CELEBS HIT UP ESSENCE FESTIVAL

Celebs were out and about this weekend in New Orleans at the Essence Fest 2008

Lynn Whitfield, Casandra Davis, Tasha Smith, Keisha Knight Pulliam, Tanika Ray

Sanaa Lathan, Mikki Taylor, Shaun Robinson and Solange showed up


Editor Angela Burt-Murray, Lynn Whitfield, Tyler Perry, Tanika Ray

Bow Weezy

MARIAH HITS UP TIME

Mariah Carey and new hubby Nick Cannon made their first public appearance Thursday night, hitting the Big Apple for Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World" gala.


Carey, wearing a silver minidress, sang at the party, held at New York City's Lincoln Center.



Approached at the gala, friend of the couple's director Tyler Perry, joked he had "a major issue with [Mariah]." "You know I want to take you out and you don’t tell me you’re getting married?," he said. "What's that about!" All kidding aside, he added she's an "amazing person. I am really happy for her."

Chris Rock and wife Malaak

Ophrah's girl Gayle was there

Afterwards, Mrs. Cannon slipped into a strapless black dress accessorized with her 17-carat wedding ring to hit hotspot The Waverly Inn.

KEISHA KNIGHT PULLIAM TO STAR IN MADEA GOES TO JAIL

Keisha Knight Pulliam has been cast in 'Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail'.


Pulliam will star as an imprisoned prostitute in the film. Also included in the cast are Derek Luke, Tamela Mann and David Mann.

'The Hollywood Reporter' states that the Lionsgate comedy centers on Madea (Perry), whose penchant for trouble-making lands her behind bars. She comes to the rescue of Candy (Pulliam), a fellow inmate preyed upon by a large woman named Big Sal. Luke will play Joshua, an attorney who has a past with Candy.

MEET THE BROWNS PREMIERE

Celebs came out to support Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns.


Angela Basset still looks fab

Angela's husband Courtney B. Vance of course wasn't too far.

Vanessa Williams showed up

Tasha Smith and her real life twin Sidra came out....I can't even tell these two apart. She was so hilarious in Why Did I Get Married?

Jill Marie Jones came through...I love her outfit.

Taraji came decked in white.

Eva and her boo Lance made an appearance

Vanessa Williams and her daughter came out to support ex-husband Rick Fox.

JANET JACKSON & JILL SCOTT HIT UP 106

Janet Jackson, Jill Scott and Tyler Perry hit 106 & Park to pub his new movie "Why Did I Get Married?" Can't wait to see it.

TYLER PERRY PREMIERES WHY DID I GET MARRIED

Tyler Perry premiered his latest film Why Did I Get Married? in Hollywood last night.

Tito, Janet, Jermaine

Ms Janet

Tyler Perry

Jill Scott

Jimmy Jam and wifey

Niecy Nash