Gordy
DreamWorks and Paramount have officially apologized to Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. in stressing that "Dreamgirls" is a work of fiction.
Mea culpa came in the form of full-page ads appearing in Wednesday's editions of
Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.
"Dreamgirls is a work of fiction. It is also an homage to Motown. We used many wonderful accomplishments that belong to the rich Motown history," the ad stated. "For any confusion that has resulted from our fictional work, we apologize to Mr. Gordy."
Gordy himself has never publicly complained about "Dreamgirls," which first bowed as a musical 25 years ago, featuring an ethically compromised record mogul named Curtis Taylor Jr.
In recent weeks, however, Motown's Smokey Robinson said the film's producers owned Gordy a public apology and that the film is an insult to "our integrity and our leader."
In Detroit, Gordy issued a statement applauding DreamWorks and Paramount for clearly differentiating the movie from the real story of Motown.
Contact Pamela McClintock at
pamela.mcclintock@variety.com