Don Johnson Gets $23 Million Verdict in Nash Bridges Case
Don Johnson
Don Johnson won a verdict awarding him $23.2 million in profits from Nash Bridges, The Associated Press reports.
In February 2009, the 60-year-old actor sued three companies — Rysher Entertainment, 2929 Entertainment and Qualia Capital — claiming he was owed millions in profits from the series, which ran on CBS for six seasons.
After a two-week trial, a jury agreed. Johnson attended the entire trial and personally thanked the jurors after they made their decision Wednesday, according to the AP.
Bart H. Williams, a lawyer for Rysher, expressed disappointment at the verdict, adding: "We are ready to undergo the appeals process and are confident that in the end, today's outcome will be reversed."
The other two companies either had no comment or didn't return calls.
Rysher Entertainment contended during the trial that the show lost money. But jurors corroborated that Johnson's Nash Bridges contract made him a 50 percent owner of the series' copyright. The AP said that determination could mean even more money for Johnson in the coming years.
Check out photos of Don Johnson from his Miami Vice days
"It was my idea, and I owned the rights in the first place," said Johnson, who established his TV stardom with the '80s series Miami Vice. "From the beginning, I have asked only that Rysher honor our contract, and I am so pleased that the jury agreed with me."
Mark Holscher, Johnson's lawyer, said the case was about more than just money — "it was vindication that he was getting credit for his ideas."