Bernice King, Martin Luther King III and Brother Dexter King Engaged in a New Legal Squabble Over DreamWorks' Upcoming Film about the Life of Dr. King

The continued in-fighting among Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s children is a disgrace. Rev. Bernice King of all people should be ashamed of herself as a pastor and a litigious person at the same time. Apparently the latest dust-up comes courtesy of DreamWorks and the company's plans for the first big-screen portrayal of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life. Two of King's children immediately threatened legal action because the film deal was brokered without their blessing. How Christian-like and I must add totally contrary to anything their parents would encourage. DreamWorks highlighted the project in a press release as the first theatrical motion picture authorized by the estate using King's intellectual property, including copyrighted speeches and other works, as the basis for the film. Steven Spielberg was listed as a co-producer. The only other film about King that made it to theaters was a documentary that was shown for one day in 1970. Of course, this isn't sitting pretty with Bernice and Martin III.

Dexter King said in a press release that he hoped the movie would "be the definitive film" on his father's legacy. Two other King siblings — Bernice King and Martin Luther King III — said they had no input in the deal. Dexter is the chairman and chief executive officer of King, Inc. I might also add that he literally ran the King Center in the ground when he was in charge. He is a disgrace to the legacy of his parents. He has clearly shown, along with his siblings, that their prime motivation is money. They have been involved in several legal squabbles regarding their parents' intellectual property in the past year. Bernice King and Martin Luther King III have accused their brother of tarnishing their parents' legacy with his business decisions, and have said that he has been operating The King Estate for years without their input.

Madison Jones, a longtime friend of Dexter King who has handled intellectual property issues for the estate for several years, is also listed as a producer. Bernice King said Jones, who is also known as "Phil," does not represent her and Martin. "He has always represented Dexter," she said. "This is about Dexter and Phil and their empire."

In March, Dexter King brokered a deal with EMI Music Publishing for his father's words and image. Last month, Bernice King and Martin Luther King III took issue with an $800,000 licensing deal their brother struck with the foundation tasked with building a memorial to their father on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The siblings still haven't settled three lawsuits involving their parents' estates, including one attempting to force Dexter King to open the books of their father's estate. Another would determine who should control Coretta Scott King's personal items — some of which were at the center of a $1.4 million book deal about their mother's life that fell apart last year. Source: Yahoo News

I know this is the last thing Steven Spielberg wants to get tangled up in and this does not bode well for the image of DreamWorks. What is Bernice King implying about the relationship between Dexter King and Madison Jones? I'll leave that to my readers' imagination, but there have been rumors about Dexter King's sexual orientation for years. The reality is that the three King siblings have done more to tarnish the reputation of their parents in such a short period of time and it is a disgrace to the legacy of Dr. King. Bernice King, you are the pastor among your siblings, what has your Bible told you about squabbles and living in peace? I am sure this isn't what Dr. King and Coretta Scott King envisioned would happen to their kids.