Tensions behind the scenes of All the Queen’s Men have spilled into the legal arena, as actor Skyh Black has issued a cease-and-desist letter to series creator and actor Christian Keyes, accusing him of making false and damaging statements that could harm Black’s career.
According to documents obtained by TMZ, Black—who played Addiction Anthony on the BET+ drama—retained high-profile attorney Marty Singer to formally demand that Keyes retract comments made during a recent social media post.
The letter reportedly frames the situation as Keyes’ “first and last chance to avoid litigation.”
The dispute traces back to a Facebook video posted by Keyes last month, where he discussed future spin-offs and prequels tied to All the Queen’s Men. In that video, Keyes claimed Black would not be involved in any continuation of the franchise and alleged that the actor arrived on set intoxicated.
“You don’t get to show up inebriated and brag about it,” Keyes said in the clip. “So yeah …Skyh won’t be back. He will be written out for that and other reasons.”
Black’s legal team sharply disputes that account. In the cease-and-desist letter, his attorney reportedly described the statements as “textbook defamation,” arguing that Black was neither intoxicated nor terminated for cause.
Black maintains that the series was canceled by BET+, not that he was fired, and claims the accusations were made in retaliation after he raised concerns about Keyes’s conduct on set.
Those concerns allegedly included public confrontations. Black claims Keyes shouted at him and accused him of being high in front of roughly 300 cast and crew members.
In the same video, Keyes acknowledged being “abrasive” toward an unnamed actor, saying, “You’re not supposed to be ad-libbing, and this is MY show, this isn’t the standup comedy hour.”
The cease-and-desist demands that Keyes remove the offending posts, issue an immediate public retraction and apology, and refrain from making further statements about Black.
While the original Facebook post has since been taken down, a related YouTube video remains online. Black’s attorneys reportedly say their demands apply to Keyes and anyone “acting in concert” with him.
The legal clash arrives as Keyes has already been making headlines for his public fallout with Tyler Perry.
According to The Grio, the actor-writer previously accused Perry and Tyler Perry Studios of attempting to strip him of creator credit for All the Queen’s Men and of altering the show’s original vision.
As of this writing, Keyes has not issued a public apology to Black.