It seems Dragon Ball‘s legal drama has entered a new chapter. A lawsuit filed by Vic Mignogna against several Funimation employees is continuing to circulate Texas civil courts, and a new filing has prompted one Dragon Ball Z actor to release a statement in defense of himself.
As reported by Anime News Network, Mignogna’s legal team submitted a late response to a filing put in by the defense this summer. The lengthy file was made public, and fans were quick to sort through the piece before discovering a rather concerning affidavit from voice actor Chuck Huber.
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Huber, who voices Android 17 in Dragon Ball Super, submitted an affidavit for the recent filing. Anime News Network reports the piece disparaged the work environment at Funimation and rested such blame on fellow co-star Chris Sabat, the voice of Vegeta and OkaTron 5000 studio owner.
In the affidavit, Hubert makes an alarming allegation against Sabat and Funimation regarding their hiring practice. The actor actor suggested acting roles were sometimes dependent on a voice actor’s willingness to exchange sexual favors for work.
“When the Dragonball Kai was being recorded in 2007 [sic], I heard rumors that actresses had been recast at Funimation for refusing sexual advances by Funimation employees. I consider these rumors credible based on my experience working at Funimation and from direct messages received from a former DBZ cast member. I also heard that actresses who participated in sex with Funimation/Okatron5000 employees were cast in roles. I consider these rumors credible based on my experience working at Funimation,” a piece of the affidavit reads.
Sabat is now refuting those claims set in the affidavit, calling them “without merit” and “libelous.”
“The recent allegations of sexual misconduct at Funimation and OkraTron 5000 are deeply disturbing and completely without merit. These libelous statements are based on groundless rumors and are meant to defame me and my company. Never in my career spanning two decades did I ever witness or participate in such conduct,” Sabat shared in a new statement.
As you can read here, Anime News Network spoke with several sources under the condition of anonymity about the recent filing; Many shared their own thoughts on the legal case and their experience working with the lawsuit’s named participants. With the lawsuit moving forward in court, fans can expect to hear more from both legal teams on September 6 for the court’s next hearing.
Dragon Ball Super currently airs its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami programming block on Saturday evenings. It is also available to stream on Funimation and Amazon Video. The Japanese-language release of the series is complete, and available to stream on FunimationNOW and Crunchyroll. The manga has chapters that can currently be read for free thanks to Viz Media, and Dragon Ball Super: Broly is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
