Salt-N-Pepa with DJ Spinderella.Photo: Chris Pizzello/REX/
Two months after she claimed she was kicked off the group’s reunion tour with New Kids on the Block and received a“termination” email, Spinderella (who was born Deidra Roper) filed a breach of contract lawsuit in federal court in Texas against Sandra “Pepa” Denton and Cheryl “Salt” James.
“DJ Spinderella became synonymous with, and inseparable from, Salt-N-Pepa’s public identity as she helped boost the all-female SNP trio and brand to legendary iconic status and worldwide fame,” claims Roper, who first joined the duo in 1987 at age 16.
Specifically, Roper claims she was unaware of the group’s 1999Best of Salt N Pepaalbum release amid their ’90s hiatus. The compilation was released in Europe with Roper’s image featured on the album cover allegedly without her consent. Instead, she says she received a call from Denton in 2001 about money from the album.
“Roper was suddenly informed — in an unexpected telephone call from Denton — that James, 53, and Denton, 52, were holding the sum of $125,000 that would be paid to Roper,” the documents claim. “No such payment of $125,000 was subsequently made to Roper.”
Roper also claims in the lawsuit that she is being “duped” and only receiving “minimal compensation” for the pair’s VH1 show,The Salt-N-Pepa Show.
More recently, Roper alleges she was fired from the group after accepting a deferred compensation agreement.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Denton and James “have continuously concealed and failed to fully and accurately account for and pay to Roper her full one-third share of various sources of income and ancillary revenue.”
Reps for Denton and James told PEOPLE in a statement: “We will refrain from commenting on Spin’s claims until we’ve had the opportunity to review the complaint. That being said, it’s unfortunate she is choosing to take this path because Salt-N-Pepa have been very good to her, both artistically and financially, for more than 30 years.”
source: people.com
