Johnny Ramone's widow Linda sues over Netflix biopic
It’s baseball bats at the ready, in a purely figurative, legal sense, as the estate of Johnny Ramone (pictured above left) sues Mickey Leigh over upcoming biopic ‘I Slept With Joey Ramone’.
The Netflix documentary staring Pete Davidson is based a book of the same name by Leigh, the brother of Ramones singer Joey (above, second from right).
But, although it has the cooperation and support of Joey Ramone’s estate, Johnny Ramone’s is less than pleased about the upcoming film.
The guitarist’s widow Linda filed a lawsuit in Manhattan court last month claiming the biopic was “an unapproved unauthorized Ramones-based biopic” that was based on Leigh’s “one-sided recitation of the history of the Ramones”, according to Billboard.
Linda’s lawsuit wants the film’s production to have to gain her approval. Linda and Leigh have equal shares in the Ramones’ intellectual property, and respectively represent Johnny and Joey Ramone’s estates.
“Ms. Ramone objects to defendants’ attempt to create a Ramones film without her involvement — not to be obstinate, but rather based on defendants’ disregard for [Ramones] assets and their conduct and treatment of Ms. Ramone and her late husband,” Linda’s attorneys wrote. “To permit defendants alone to tell the authoritative story of the Ramones would be an injustice to the band and its legacy.”
Johnny and Joey Ramone, who died of cancer in 2004 and 2001 respectively, had a famously fractured relationship, particularly after Linda, who originally dated Joey, left him for Johnny.
The Joey Ramone biopic was announced on the 20th anniversary of the iconic punk singer’s death. Adam Fogelson, chairman of the film’s production company STXfilms, said in 2021: “‘I Slept with Joey Ramone’ is a great rock anthem that will make an equally great rock biopic, set apart by a universal story of family.”
Need more Punk In Your Life?
They’ve done it again! ‘Gaslight’ – the illuminating new single from Healthy Junkies
Punk rock renegades Healthy Junkies unleashed their latest single ‘Gaslight’ on Halloween, a raw, melodic, and emotionally charged anthem about psychological manipulation and the fight
Gig Review: Hang Youth in Leiden, the Netherlands, 18th Oct 2025
On 18th October 2025, Hang Youth, maybe the best-known Dutch punk band, played in the Gebroeders de Nobel venue in Leiden. Support came from Dutch
Album review: HEED CASE shine a light on their Neurodivergent experiences through punk banger ‘Mongo’
HEED CASE shine a light on their Neurodivergent experiences through punk banger ‘Mongo’. An unashamedly unvarnished, fantastically frenetic, first-rate, follow-up to last yaer’s ‘All The
Album review: WitchDoktors conjure up riveting Rock’n’Roll magic with IZZATSO?
Yes, you CAN improve on perfection! Join the Doks and friends on a magnetizing mission into musical agility.. WitchDoktors’ sixth studio LP ‘IZZATSO?’ drops on
Live review: Liliths Army, Audio Works, Northampton, 25th Oct 2025
Lo-fi punk/grunge band Liliths Army released their single ‘Cursed’ on 24th October 2025 and celebrated with a single launch gig on 25th October 2025. The
Live Review : Cavegirl & The Neandergals, Prince Albert, Brighton, 18th Oct 2025
Yabba Dabba Doo! Prehistoric Rock ‘n’ roll comes to the South Coast from CaveGirl & The Neandergals, with The Tridents and Joanna & The Dropouts
An occasional writer on punk rock.
Click on Dom’s photo for more of his articles
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
