Ugly Betty Bosses Sued By Writer

The TV executives behind UGLY BETTY have been hit with a lawsuit from a woman who alleges she thought up the premise for the cancelled show.

Writer/director Azita Zendel claims several episodes of the sitcom, which wrapped up in the U.S. on 14 April (10), are similar to a screenplay she wrote which became 2003 independent movie Controlled Chaos.

Zendel alleges she originally submitted the project to ABC network bosses in the hope of landing a distribution deal, according to a lawsuit filed in court on Monday (19Apr10).

She claims she has never been compensated and is now suing for unspecified damages, reports TMZ.com.

Ugly Betty, which began airing in 2006, is based on the Colombian TV series Yo soy Betty, la fea, which was broadcast from 1999 to 2001.