Viacom Suing Zeus Network, Nick Cannon For “Bad Vs. Wild” Show

Nick Cannon is at the center of a legal pursuit as Viacom International Inc. has filed a lawsuit accusing him and Zeus Network for blatantly ripping off his long-running MTV series, Wild ’N Out.

According to the suit exclusively obtained by AllHipHop, Zeus’ Bad vs. Wild show has been detailed as more than imitation—but pretty much a carbon copy of the hit Hip-Hop improv comedy series. The competing show—which includes women of various reality shows—apparently mirrors everything from set design, fun challenges, the show’s font, to even the presence of Cannon as the host.

Viacom is accusing the streaming platform of outright intellectual property theft. “Zeus intentionally copied elements of Wild ’N Out in developing Bad vs. Wild, knowing that those acts constituted infringements of Viacom’s copyrights,” stated George W. Kroup, Viacom’s attorney.

“Zeus’ collaboration with Mr. Cannon—the longtime host and face of Wild ‘N Out—in developing Bad vs. Wild further cements the conclusion that Bad vs. Wild intentionally ripped off Wild ‘N Out to profit off its creative elements, without having to do the work of creating original content itself.”

The lawsuit highlights multiple similarities, accusing Bad vs. Wild of adopting Wild ’N Out’s signature features including: two rival teams, live audience participation, celebrity guest appearances, DJ-integrated scoring and championship prizes—which Viacom argues are undeniable trademarks of its brand.

The lawsuit claims Cannon’s role as host of Bad vs. Wild directly violates his contract with Viacom, which “prohibits him from engaging in projects that compete with” or mimic Wild’ N Out. “Zeus has caused Mr. Cannon to violate his written agreement related to Wild’ N Out,” Kroup continued.

The media giant also adds that Zeus promoted Bad vs. Wild as a wilder version of Wild ’N Out, allegedly marketing it as “Wild ‘N Out on steroids” in hashtags. The network further argues that the replica show has damaged the original’s reputation by incorporating “harmful and offensive” content, including “racial and gender stereotyping, explicit imagery, and the glorification of violence.” According to Kroup, the latter is in direct contrast to Wild ’N Out’s “good-natured humor.”

“The damage caused by Zeus’ interference with Mr. Cannon’s contract is magnified by the wave of negative publicity which emanated from Zeus’s unoriginal content and colorist and sizeist stereotyping,” the attorney went on, citing the show’s controversial “Lightskin vs. Darkskin” episode. The episode was later renamed to “Chocolate Goddesses vs. Caramel Goddesses.”