Hip-hop impresario and one-time N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller wasn’t shy about expressing his displeasure with the wildly popular 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton. In fact, he even took his issue with the motion picture to court in the form of a legal battle seeking $110 million. Following word of Heller’s passing, his attorney Mickey Shapiro is accusing the film of ultimately killing him.
Shaprio spoke with TMZ and pulled no punches about the film’s unflattering portrayal of Heller (as played by Paul Giamatti) which he believes pushed his client towards death. The box office hit’s representation of events allegedly take a significant toll on Heller.
“Jerry Heller would be alive today if not for that movie,” Shaprio told TMZ. He says the film put Heller under a “tremendous amount of stress” that impeded his sleep and left him “heart broken.” Heller died on Friday following a car accident where it is believed he may have suffered a heart attack before the crash.
In November, Heller told Rolling Stone that he found the film (which he did see) to be “very hurtful,” “inaccurate” and damaging to his reputation. The status of Heller’s lawsuit is somewhat unclear at this point in light of his passing.
