Why Brains Of Obese People Are Different From Those With…
Meet The Clutch's Less Expensive Cousin
By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices
Black America's most esteemed filmmaker Spike Lee is experiencing his very own share of real-life drama.
The 'Jungle Fever' director is embroiled in a legal brouhaha with his brother over family real estate.
"Spike's a hypocrite, a liar and a phony," Christopher Lee said in an interview with 'The National Enquirer' in the Jan. 8 edition. "I'm about to get evicted because of this clown."
What ever happened to brotherly love?
Christopher, 48, charges that Spike, 49, has abandoned him and is squeezing him out of his inheritance; a valuable parcel of Atlanta land that their 100-year-old grandmother Zimmie bequeathed to be divided amongst the five siblings.
Throw in the fact that Christopher is allegedly on welfare and this "story" sounds a bit sensational.
But since Spike is known not to pull any punches --or mince words -- he was quoted in the piece, stating to reporter Don Gentile: "I'm not the first nor will I be the last public figure who will be accused by a sibling for not doing enough. My question is, 'When is enough enough?'
Good question.
Christopher also revealed that his millionaire brother gave their 78-year old father Bill Lee "just a pair of sneakers for Christmas," and said when he encountered him at their grandmother's birthday celebration about the land, Spike told him, "I'm not giving you a dime."
The acclaimed auteur, who scored Oscar nominations for films such as 'Malcolm X' and '4 Little Girls,' mandates that his brother's claims are "falsehoods."
"Nonetheless, my siblings and I still love him," he added.
This is a dog's mess. But at least Spike is remaining classy about it.
Comments: (598)
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By: Ray IceMan Pratt on 3/02/2007 6:12PM
I fell sorry for the 48 year old brother that maybe feels that brother Lee owes him something simple because he's family. I remember Spike long years of struggle just to get where he is today. I wonder or like to know what life struggles his brother had to want a hand-out from his brother or other family members?
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By: Denise on 3/03/2007 11:55AM
Spike Lee is very accurate when he says, "enough is enough". I don't know what the situation is and I am sure there is more to what we have read. So Nobody knows or have the rights to criticize Spike Lee. It sounds as though Christopher is dependent on his brother spike to take care of him and his situation and he had to bring his and Spikes mothers name in for leverage with the press just to give Spike a bad name. Thats what family do if they can't get what they want from you. Again I donot know the what the true is but I know there is more to it. The press feeds on negative stories and we read them. Its up to us to believe or chuck it.
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By: carlton on 3/03/2007 12:41PM
Wanda ,Amen. I am black and I get so tired of black people looking for the easy way out. CHALLENGE YOURSELVES, IT WILL ONLY MAKE YOU STRONGER.
There are no quick fixes. Spikes brother probably all ways took the easy road, when you do this you only
cheat yourself, thats why he is broke. I wouldnt give him a blade of grass, off of that land. He is jelouse and has shown he cannot maintain himself. Once he gets it together then we could talk.
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By: Kevin on 3/03/2007 9:00PM
This is about being grown. Back in the day when my brother was a college student and I was a well paid factory worker, no one expected me to do for him including my brother. I did what I could to help when I could but my brother never lived above his means. Years later, my brother was a millionaire and I was working at that same factory. The story was quite different for the rest of the world. Everyone expected him to "take care" of me, my parents and our sister. What do I look like as a man expected some other man to "take care" of me? I didn't expect anymore from him than he did from me. Did he help me at times, of course he did. But I would not allow myself to get into a position where I needed to depend on him. There are two sides to every story but whether I agreed with my brother or not, I would never front on him in the National Enquirer. Right or Wrong, what's between Spike and his brother should have stayed between them. Putting his brother out there was a punk move.
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By: chantina on 3/07/2007 4:33PM
EVERYBODY HAS PROBLEMS EVEN W/ OR W/O MONEY. NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON BUT THEM AND GOD. I JUST THINK THAT IS THERE PROBLEM PEOPLE GO THROUGH THE SAME THING EVERYDAY, THAT IS WHAT LAWYERS ARE PAID FOR, IF THE LAND IS HIS HE WILL GET SOONER OR LATER IF ITS NOT THEN HE WANT NEVER GET. PEOPLE THESE DAYS NEED TO SIT BACK AND LET GOD TAKE CONTROL, AND WE WANT HAVE MOST OF THESE PROBLEMS WE HAVE TODAY.
CHANTINA
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By: Babs on 3/10/2007 2:32PM
I have three sons and they're all different...One son is an achiever another stingy and cheap and the other prodigal son. So if Spike loves his brother he knows whats best. His brother should not expose his family matters. IF Spike is not helping his Family he will reap what he sows in the end and that a fact! One cannot continue to help a Family member if the member won't try to help him or herself.
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By: Gwen on 3/10/2007 12:41PM
It sounds like his brother has issues and will not do the right thing with the property. It also sounds like he doesn't do anything for himself and only wants handouts. He needs to get over it and get a job. Spike is doing the right thing.
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By: Deb on 3/10/2007 12:36PM
The Bible says that if you dont work, then, you dont eat. This is a family matter,not something that the world should be making judgements on. We all have our own problems in life. This is an imperfect world. There are much more things we should be concerned with. If, everyone put the time, energy, and effort into their own life situations. We wouldn't have time to focus on other people life.
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