Top 10 Times The Simpsons Got Sued
#10: The Louie Lawsuit
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Even though he’s just one of Fat Tony’s henchmen, “The Simpsons” character Louie ended up becoming just as infamous. Although not in the way you think. In 2014, Louie was the focus of a lawsuit filed by actor Frank Sivero, who played Frankie Carbone in “Goodfellas.” Sivero claimed that the writers of the show stole Carbone’s likeness and mannerisms, which Sivero based on his own personality, while they lived next door to him in 1989. As compensation, Sivero demanded a total of $250 million in damages. Unfortunately for Sivero, his lawsuit was rejected and his attempt to appeal the case in 2018 ended in failure. Legal issues aside, it’s kind of impressive that a henchman like Louie could cause such a commotion in real life.
#9: AFM v. 20th Century Fox & NBC Universal
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After more than thirty years on the air, “The Simpsons” theme song has become one of the show’s most iconic trademarks. However, as important as the song is to the show, it’s also been the source of some legal trouble as well. The show's theme song was used in a roller coaster ride at Universal Studios Hollywood, and the American Federation of Musicians took immediate legal action, claiming that this act violated a 2010 agreement with 20th Century Fox and NBC Universal. Fox refused to comment on the lawsuit, while Universal Studios denied the union’s claims, insisting that their use of the song was purely for promotional purposes.
#8: Morrissey Almost Sued
In the season 32 episode “Panic on the Streets of Springfield,” Lisa becomes a fan of musician Quilloughby, a parody inspired by “The Smiths” frontman Morrissey. However, Lisa’s ideal image of Quilloughby goes up in flames when she discovers that he has gone from a vegan who shared many of her political beliefs to an overweight, meat-eating and hateful man. Morrissey was less than pleased and spoke out against the episode, claiming that the hatred expressed by the show’s creators towards him was akin to a “taunting lawsuit.” In the end, Morrissey chose not to sue the show, as doing so would have cost him more money than it was worth.
#7: Alf Clausen Takes Legal Action
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After being recruited as “The Simpsons” music producer in 1990, Alf Clausen went on to produce some of the series’ most memorable musical scores. However, in 2017, Clausen’s time with the show came to an end when its creators announced that he was being let go. At the time, Clausen’s dismissal was attributed to creative differences and for farming out work to other composers, including his own son. Things only got more intense two years later when Clausen launched a lawsuit against his former employers for wrongful termination because of his age and for being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Clausen’s legal battle with Fox continued for a couple more years, before eventually dropping the suit in early 2022.
#6: The Simpsons Get in Trouble with Brazil
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Leave it to a show as famous and long-lived as “The Simpsons” to almost cause an international incident. One of its more infamous episodes, “Blame it on Lisa” features the Simpsons traveling to Brazil for the first time. Along with offensive stereotypes and cultural inaccuracies, the episode also portrayed Brazil as a dangerous location where tourists are likely to be kidnapped or robbed. Eventually, Rio de Janeiro’s tourist board took action and threatened to sue Fox for ruining Brazil’s image and costing them revenue, forcing the guilty party to issue an immediate apology. The fact that even the Brazilian president at the time also supported the idea of a lawsuit shows just how serious the situation was.
#5: Sega Takes Legal Action
Released in 2001, “The Simpsons: Road Rage” is known for more than just selling over a million copies and its poor graphics. As it turns out, this game was the focus of a lawsuit filed by the Sega video game company against Fox Interactive, Electronic Arts and Radical Entertainment for patent infringement. While the game does take place in a poorly designed version of Springfield, the game’s objectives, plot and overall gameplay bear many similarities to the 1999 Sega arcade game “Crazy Taxi.” In the end, the case was privately settled between the two parties, before it ever got to court.
#4: Hologram USA’s Lawsuit
This particular lawsuit may not have been the first time that “The Simpsons” were sued for patent infringement, but it definitely was under unique circumstances. While celebrating their 25th anniversary at San Diego Comic Con in 2014, Matt Groening introduced and spoke with a hologram of Homer Simpson. Although it was a memorable and hilarious moment, it also caused Alki David from Hologram USA to sue 20th Century Fox and Gracie Films for using Homer’s hologram without a license to the technology used to create him. A year later, both Hologram USA and Fox settled the lawsuit, with David confirming that he was satisfied by the outcome.
#3: Sued by a Russian Father
Not every Simpsons lawsuit comes from a big name company or celebrity. Sometimes, even regular people have a bone to pick with them. Just look at the case of Igor Smykov. In 2002, Smykov sued the Russian TV channel, RenTV, claiming that by airing “The Simpsons,” along with “Family Guy,” they promoted moral degeneracy and violence, as well as encouraged kids to disobey their parents. After claiming that both shows caused his son to show an interest in illicit substances and call his mother a toad, Smykov demanded monetary compensation and also tried to prevent future airings of certain Simpsons episodes, such as “Homer’s Phobia.” However, the judge cleared “The Simpsons” of any wrongdoing and the case was thrown out after a day.
#2: The Lawsuit of Tracey Ullman
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Even though actress and comedian Tracy Ullman was instrumental in “The Simpsons” rise to fame, this did not stop her from trying to sue them. Before getting their own show, the Simpsons family originally debuted in shorts that aired during “The Tracey Ullman Show” toward the end of the 1980s. As “The Simpsons” grew in popularity, Ullman claimed that she was entitled to up to ten percent of the show's merchandising profits. When this did not happen, Ullman launched a lawsuit that lasted for nearly two years. After a period of deliberation, Ullman’s claim was ultimately rejected, costing her a settlement that would have earned her more than $2 million at the time.
#1: Fox vs Fox?
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It takes gutsiness for “The Simpsons” to make comedic jabs at their own network. During the episode “Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington,” a Fox News ticker is shown featuring satirical headlines that poked fun at Fox’s political views. During an interview, Matt Groening claimed that this event supposedly made Fox News threaten Fox Entertainment, the channel which airs “The Simpsons.” Ultimately, Groening stated that Fox decided against suing their sister network, as it would only result in Fox suing itself. Although Fox News said they never considered taking such legal action, the network did prohibit the show from doing anymore Fox news ticker parodies. However, this has not stopped the Simpsons from making fun of Fox every now and then.
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