Bosh is suing Allison Mathis, the mother of his daughter Trinity Meyers Mathis, who is set to star in the third season of the VH1 reality show Basketball Wives, for infringing his trademark and publicity rights, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show's producer, Shed Media, is also a co-defendant.
The lawsuit filed on Monday in California District Court indicates that the VH1 series doesn't portray actual wives of basketball players. Instead, most of the women portrayed are divorced, currently dating or have previously dated NBA players. Mathis and Bosh were never married.
Bosh is claiming the defendants are commercially exploiting his "likeness and trademark."
"The use of Plaintiff's name by Defendants is primarily commercial and not communicative," the lawsuit reads. "Further, the show, Basketball Wives, is not transformative, but rather the use, depiction, or imitation of celebrity NBA basketball players, including Plaintiff, is the very sum and substance of the show."
Bosh says his consent is required when using his mark (his name), and the show will likely fool the audience into thinking he endorsed the series.
The Miami star is also claiming that the program has wrongfully "converted his life rights," providing personal information about himself that may be harmful to his public persona and the commercial value of those "life rights."
Bosh is also suing the defendants for intruding upon his private home life.
Basketball Wives was created by Shaunie O'Neal, the ex-wife of Celtics big man Shaquille O'Neal, who Bosh is facing in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Season three of the VH1 series is currently being filmed and is slated to premiere May 30.
