The Weeknd Net Worth: Singer Sued For Copying 'Starboy' Concept

The Weeknd is being sued by comic book writer Eymun Talasazan for copying his "Starboy" concept, TMZ reported late Wednesday. According to the lawsuit, Talasazan had conversations with the singer's team in 2017 about working together but The Weeknd had already released a single of the same name in 2016.

In the lawsuit, Talasazan claims that he created the "Starboy" concept in 2014 and continued working on it for years. He claims to have discussed the idea with the late Stan Lee. By 2015, he was working on creating a “universe” that revolved around the character, according to TMZ. However, Talasazan had filed for a trademark on "Starboy" around the same time when he was discussing with The Weeknd's team about his idea. The writer claims that the Toronto R&B singer was aware of the trademark filing and, in return, he filed an opposition to the trademark. Talasazan added that he intended to use “Starboy” without The Weeknd’s involvement

While Talasazan was granted the "Starboy" trademark in 2017, he also realized that The Weeknd had debuted his own "Starboy" comic book with the help of Marvel Comics in June, the storyline of which was identical to his own. Talasazan is now suing the singer for copyright infringement.

According to TMZ, Talasazan is seeking that The Weeknd's "Starboy" copies are all recalled, impounded and destroyed.

The Weeknd has a net worth of $70 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. In 2017, Forbes ranked him sixth on its Celebrity 100, estimating earnings of $92 million. He earned the money from a lucrative world tour, which took an average of $1.1 million per stop. He also made money from the streaming of his music on services like Apple and Spotify.

In 2015, Forbes ranked him No. 30 on its Celebrity 100, estimating his earnings at $55 million.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the comic book imagines The Weeknd's "Starboy" as a superhero. It was written by The Weeknd, with help from La Mar Taylor and Christos Gage. The art was created by Eric Nguyen and Guru-eFX.

The Weeknd's "Starboy" album reached No. 1 in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Denmark, and Sweden after its release. It featured the hit single "Starboy" (featuring Daft Punk) which reached No.. 1 in seven countries including the United States.

The singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, has scored three No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including “The Hills,” “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Starboy.” His acclaimed 2015 album "Beauty Behind the Madness" also reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.