Carlton Banks Actor is Suing Epic Games for Stealing His Dance in Fortnite

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Alfonso Ribeiro, better known as Carlton Banks in the beloved classic sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has sued Epic Games over stealing his dance in Fortnite.


The dispute (via TMZ) is focused on the game’s “Fresh” emote (seen here), which the developer released for the game back in January of this year. The dance is a direct copy of the “Carlton Dance,” and is obviously named as such in a clear nod to the sitcom.

While other famous artists have also made claims against Epic Games for stealing their moves (like rapper 2 Milly), the legality of claiming ownership of dance moves is cloudy at best. Ribeiro is reportedly going through the process of claiming the copyright for the dance.

The 2 Milly lawsuit actually named Ribeiro as well, which is being handled by the same law firm. The suit claims that Epic is “exploiting African-American talent in particular in Fortnite by copying their dances and movements.”

Fortnite is currently available for Windows PC, Mac, iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

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