MOVIES - Oct. 18, 1990

Coming to Court: Eddie Murphy faces yet another plagiarism lawsuit in connection with Paramount Pictures’ “Coming to America.” Prince Johnny Osseni-Bello, a self-proclaimed Nigerian prince and actor-producer, is seeking $100 million in damages, charging that his 1983 screenplay “Toto, the African Prince” (co-written with Shelby M. Gregory) was actually the inspiration for the Murphy movie. Last week, Murphy’s attorney sought to dismiss the action but a Los Angeles Superior Court judge refused to dismiss it. Osseni-Bello said that he knows Murphy and in 1982 told him about his idea. Co-writer Gregory filed his own copyright lawsuit against Murphy in 1988 seeking $10 million in damages.