Celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson defrauded one of the creators of his popular “StarTalk” show while the producer was suffering physically and financially from a rare liver disorder, according to a new lawsuit.
David Gamble says he and NASA employee Helen Matsos brought the idea for the “StarTalk” radio show to Tyson in 2006.
Their partnership began to fray in 2011, however, when Gamble was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, according to Gamble’s Manhattan federal suit. Tyson and Matsos cut Gamble out of “StarTalk’s” operations, Gamble claims.
Gamble — who was undergoing dialysis for three to fours hours each day — agreed to sell his stake in “StarTalk” to Tyson and Matsos, the lawsuit claims.
But Tyson and Matsos defaulted on their payments and only agreed to pay after convincing Gamble to take a lesser deal, he said. Tyson personally convinced Gamble to take the new deal by telling Gamble “that Tyson would likely be leaving StarTalk and that he did not believe the show had any future,” the lawsuit said.
A few months after he signed off on the new deal, Gamble learned that “StarTalk” was being picked up as a TV show on National Geographic, Gamble said.
Tyson and Matsos did not return a request for comment.