Marvin Gaye III claims he registered the premise for a show called Diamonds & Ballads with the Writers Guild of America in 2010. The show was based on the lives of his family - and the family of Motown singer and producer Berry Gordy - and was a "black and hip" version of Dynasty and The Sopranos. He also claims to have pitched the idea to TV executives.

Gaye's lawyer tells TMZ.com that he plans to file a lawsuit against the show's co-creator Lee Daniels, and TV network Fox, among others. He adds, "We understand that three things can't be hidden for long: the Sun, the Moon and the Truth!"

The Gaye family successfully sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over their hit track Blurred Lines in March (15), and were awarded $7.4 million (£6.6 million) in damages.