Lenora Stines dropped her legal suit against Beyonce and Jay Z

A Jamaican choreographer, Lenora Stines, a few days back filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court. She alleged that Beyonce and Jay Z used her voice in the 2018 album track “Black Effect” that too without her permission. The dancer has voluntarily dropped that case. However, she gave no reason for her act of voluntarily dismissing her claims against the defendants without prejudice. This means she can re-file the lawsuit against them. Stines stated in her complaint, “I am extremely well-respected and highly regarded in the island of Jamaica, and throughout the world for my artistry and wisdom.”

Stines alleged in the suit that:

• She spoke on tape of her feelings about “unconditional love” at the request of the celebrity couple.
• She was told her thoughts would be used only in a promotional video.
• She was asked in March 2018 to help in hiring dancers for a video to publicize the forthcoming “Everything is Love” album and tour.
• Beyonce and Jay-Z then asked if she would record her musings for the clip, Stines alleges.
• When she inquired into the terms of an agreement she was asked to sign before recording her monologue, she was told that the agreement “was just a standard document that everyone had to sign.”
• She was then told not to worry because the agreement was “only going to be utilized so that her voice could be used in the video.”
• When she asked if she could take a screenshot of the agreement to send to her attorney son, she was “explicitly told that she could not send a picture of the agreement to anyone to review.”
• When the monologue was used on the couple’s joint album “Everything is Love” in June 2018, the plaintiff felt “shock, horror and chagrin” to discover her vocals were used in the song “Black Effect,” leaving her feeling “violated,” the suit alleged.

After all of this, she filed the suit against the celebrity couple for copyright infringement and violation of her right to publicity and damages. She also demanded writing credits. However, a representative for Beyonce and Jay-Z did not immediately prefer to respond to any comment.

Lenora Antoinette Stines was born on September 5th, 1951. She is famous and identified as L’Antoinette Ọṣun Awade Wemo Stines. She is a full package of talents. She is a renowned Jamaican director, choreographer, author, actor, and dancer. She is the founder and artistic director of L’Acadco. L’Acadco is a United Caribbean Dance Force which is a leading contemporary dance company. It is based in Jamaica.

Stines also founded the first Anglo Caribbean Modern Contemporary training procedure and named it “L’Antech”. L’Antech is an eclectic Caribbean contemporary technique that synthesizes African influences, Caribbean folklore, and is dominated by Jamaican Afro-Caribbean forms.

Antoinette Stines holds a Ph.D. from the University of the West Indies (2010) Mona Campus in Kingston, Jamaica in Cultural Studies. Stines is especially acclaimed for her work as a choreographer, technique professor, and teacher. She lectures internationally on the traditional dance forms such as Kumina, Bruckins, Nyabinghi, Dancehall, and the contemporary dance synthesis L’Antech.