Dr. Dre isn’t very happy about Michel’le’s upcoming biopic Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel’le. Although the famed rapper/producer was portrayed as a legend in the making in Straight Outta Compton , Michel’le – Dr. Dre’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his son – is reportedly sharing the Death Row Records story most fans know nothing about – the tumultuous relationships she had with both Dr. Dre and Suge Knight. Since the movie is set to air next Saturday, Dr. Dre’s legal team is working to pull the plug on the highly anticipated film before it airs. But, why?
Michel’le’s story will depict Dr. Dre in a way fans have never imagined. The rapper was reportedly abusive to his ex-girlfriend. In fact, he’s depicted as a ticking time bomb with a short fuse in the upcoming film. So, of course, Dr. Dre isn’t pleased with the portrayal and is adamant about the film being pulled. According to FADER , Dre’s legal team has sent a cease and desist letter to Sony demanding that they refrain from airing the film.
A c&d order has been filed by Dr. Dre against ‘Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Me’ biopic: https://t.co/GB9Dntvl8I pic.twitter.com/9BHtnMKFys
— 2DOPEBOYZ (@2DopeBoyz) October 9, 2016
In the letter, Dr. Dre claims Michel’le “never hinted at abuse or any type of violent behavior,” and claims that she “never sought medical treatment or filed a police report,” according to TMZ .
During an interview with Huffington Post on Friday, Oct. 7, Michel’le also revealed Dre’s legal team is demanding that the film’s producers add a disclaimer statement to the film’s credits denying her claims. But Michel’le has revealed why no reports of the abuse were filed. She explained how abusers react to such incidents and how they normally disregard the fact that they are being abused.
“When you’re living in it, you can’t see it. But I couldn’t believe that I was really living like that,” she said. “And it really resonated with me. Never did I wake up and ask Dre, ‘Why did you hit me?’”
However, Michel’le doesn’t seem to be worried about Dr. Dre’s threats. In fact, she’s just as adamant about the film being released as he is about having it pulled. The former singer feels the world needs to know all about Dre’s dark side and how he mistreated her. Even though Dre has flatly denied the abuse allegations, the rapper has been implicated a number of times due to previous incidents with other women and public apologies he’s made contradicting his most recent claim of innocence.
Back in 1991, former TV journalist Dee Barnes shared details about the disturbing abuse she suffered at the hands of Dr. Dre. Then, shortly after those claims were made public, Dre released a public apology to “all of the women he hurt.” During a 1991 interview with Rolling Stone , Dre admitted to throwing a door at Barnes.
“I just did it, you know. Ain’t nothing you can do now by talking about it. Besides, it ain’t no big thing — I just threw her through a door.” Dr. Dre, Rolling Stone interview, 1991
Dr Dre Threatens to Sue for Being Shown as Woman Beater in Michel’le Biopic https://t.co/m07bqCp8Ht pic.twitter.com/UaDpXiYp73
— DJ Vlad ?? (@djvlad) October 9, 2016
The latest abuse allegations to resurface follow several news reports criticizing Straight Outta Compton for diluting the group’s history of misogyny and Dre’s abuse toward numerous women. Shortly after the film was released and criticized, Dre released a statement to the New York Times. Although he didn’t blatantly admit to abusing the women, he did offer an indirect apology for the abuse that led many fans to believe the claims were true.
“Twenty-five years ago I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life. However, none of this is an excuse for what I did. I’ve been married for 19 years and every day I’m working to be a better man for my family, seeking guidance along the way. I’m doing everything I can so I never resemble that man again.”
He added, “I apologize to the women I’ve hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives.” Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel’le premieres Saturday, Oct. 15 on Lifetime .
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella]
