Another day, another lawsuit in the wonderful world of entertainment. Issa Rae is at the center of a copyright battle after three Los Angeles writers accused her of stealing their idea for her hit film One of Them Days.
Screenwriters Joshua Isaacson, Shon Oku, and Tyrone Perry filed a federal lawsuit on July 30, targeting Rae’s ColorCreative, Sony Pictures, TriStar, and screenwriter Syreeta Singleton. They allege Rae’s successful 2025 comedy shares substantial similarities with their original screenplay, One of Those Days, written five years prior. According to the lawsuit, both projects share notable parallels in plot, characters, story arcs, and overall comedic tone.
Court documents show the trio first presented their script in late 2023 to producer Danny Hamouie, marking the screenplay’s debut outside their creative circle. Despite receiving no response from Hamouie, he was notably not included in the litigation.
The writers later pitched their idea in April 2024 to Roman Arabia and Xavier Charles, the heads behind Green Eggs Go H.A.M. Productions. Their proposal was ultimately turned down.
Just weeks following that rejection, Rae’s production company announced their own film, One of Them Days. Directed by Lawrence Lamont and penned by Singleton, the comedy starred Keke Palmer and SZA, following the comedic misadventures of two friends desperately trying to come up with rent money. Upon its release in January 2025, the movie proved popular, earning over $51 million at the box office against a modest $14 million budget.