Beyoncé directed and produced the American musical film, Black Is King, which premiered earlier in July. It served as a "visual companion" to The Lion King" The Gift album, which the songstress curated following her stint on The Lion King.
She received "widespread critical acclaim" for the material. Some publications, including GQ, even deemed it as her "magnum opus."
While the compliments and praise have continued to emerge, recent headlines have seemingly brought a different light onto the musical film. Page Six saw court papers that a "furious" Shelter Island resident filed against the New York town. Mike Gaynor, who has launched the legal action, claimed that the town council allowed the Lemonade artist to shoot parts of Black Is King in Sylvester Manor without proper documentation.
Sylvester Manor, which the resident deemed as "sacred ground," is the former home of the infamous Nathaniel Sylvester. He was a slave trader in the 1600s.
Mike Gaynor claimed in the legal papers, which he filed on Wednesday, that the manor is "sacred" because the remains of 200 slaves are buried on the property, according to Billboard, adding that it "demands respect." Despite this, the Shelter Island town council still, allegedly, allowed Beyoncé and Disney to proceed with their shooting.
Gaynor, who donated over $30,000 to the historical manor in 2019 alone, filed a lawsuit against the town and its trustees. He, also, included the members of the Community Preservation Fund Board in the suit.
Gaynor, later on, noted that he has "official confirmation" that the production did not have permits. He added that this "deeply offended" him upon learning about the manor's move, alleging that they took money from Disney.
The plaintiff, also, believes that the town council allowed Beyoncé to shoot Black Is King on the premises despite knowing that they did not have permits. Meanwhile, the staff from the Sylvester Manor confirmed earlier in August that they, indeed, hosted the Lion King star. The statement, also, reveals that the celebrity, reportedly, chose the location because of its "important history."
Following the lawsuit, a source told Page Six that "Disney did not have a hand" when it came to the locations of the shoot. They bought the movie, as a whole, from an "independent production company."
As the story continues to develop, Beyoncé has not released any comment yet. But, the Shelter Island supervisor said that the allegations about the "secret payments" the town received were "preposterous."
Gerry Stiller, then, added that Town Hall first became aware of the shoot when a local paper, The Shelter Island Reporter published an article about it. The write-up referenced that the shooting took place in the summer of 2019, more than a year before the official release of Black Is King.
