Bill Nye the Science Guy has filed a lawsuit against the Walt Disney Company in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

  • Bill Nye files lawsuit against Disney
  • Claims company owes him millions for 'Science Guy'
  • Nye says he suffered $9 million in damages

ABC, Buena Vista Television, Touchstone Television Productions and other Disney subsidiaries are included in the suit.

In the lawsuit filed this week, Nye accuses Disney of fraud and breach of contract, claiming they short-changed him out of millions.

The lawsuit says Nye and his partners are entitled to half his namesake show's net profits under an agreement with Buena Vista Television.

In the complaint, Nye says the companies have been misclassifying revenues and expenses, violating the deal.

Nye said a 2008 “accounting error” prompted his suspicion. The lawsuit says Buena Vista Television sent Nye a letter saying he had to repay a large portion of his “Science Guy” earnings. Nye also claims that Buena Vista stopped paying him royalties on the show in 2008.

Nye said he tried to get an explanation from the company, but when that failed, he hired an external auditor. Nye said after years of delays, Disney failed to provide all documents requested by auditors.

The “defendants failed to engage in the process in good faith,” the lawsuit says.

In the complaint, Nye says documents he was given show “royalties went unreported.”

Nye claims he suffered $9 million in damages, while the defendants withheld “ill-gotten” profits of more than $28 million.  

“Bill Nye the Science Guy” originally aired from 1993-1998 and won multiple broadcasting awards. Nye was featured, along with Ellen DeGeneres, in Ellen’s Energy Adventure attraction at Epcot, which closed permanently Aug. 13.