iStockphoto / Betr
Jeremy Piven and Adrian Grenier in Betr ad with cease-and-desist order
Earlier this month, Jeremy Piven and Adrian Grenier reunited onscreen to plug Jake Paul’s betting platform in an ad that was clearly inspired by Entourage. They may not have been technically playing the characters they portrayed on the show, but that didn’t stop HBO from lawyering up after the program’s creator voiced his displeasure.
Entourage was one of the biggest hits HBO had during an eight-season run that spanned from 2004 to 2011, and the gang got together for one last ride for the movie that was released in 2015.
The show revolved around Adrian Grenier’s Vincent Chase, who was surrounded and supported by the three childhood friends who comprised the titular entourage. However, it was arguably defined by Ari Gold, the vulgar, loud-mouthed super agent who Jeremy Piven portrayed in a career-defining role.
Neither of those actors had linked back up for a project since the Entourage movie came out, but they recently joined forces for a commercial for a betting app co-founded by Jake Paul. It was obviously inspired by the series, and HBO took issue with the similarities to the point where they’ve threatened to take the company to court.
HBO hit Jake Paul’s Betr with a cease-and-desist for an ad starring two former Entourage stars
Last week, Betr released an ad titled “What You’ve Been Waiting For,” which revolved around Piven rattling off insults while crossing paths with various celebrities at a mansion party before tracking Grenier down on a yacht to pitch him on a project.
You don’t need to be an expert in media literacy to understand what the commercial was going for. Neither Piven nor Grenier are referred to by their name or the names of the characters they played on Entourage, but it was very obvious it was designed to serve as a spiritual successor.
Doug Ellin, the show’s creator, referred to the spot as “garbage” while labeling it “trash and theft,” and it would appear the folks at HBO think that final claim has some merit.
According to Puck, HBO’s legal team is crying foul, saying the network “sent a nasty cease-and-desist letter on Friday to Jake Paul’s Betr app demanding that the commercial be taken down” while citing copyright infringement.
As the outlet notes, this isn’t the first time actors known for being co-stars on a show have reunited for an ad, and while parody is protected under fair use, HBO does not seem to believe this qualifies.
The commercial was available on Jake Paul’s YouTube channel and Betr’s social media platforms as of this writing. It seems like there are plans for more installments in the same vein when you consider it was positioned as “S 1: E1” on Instagram, so I guess we’ll have to see if that ends up being the case.