Group Black is facing another lawsuit.

As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Group Black launched in 2021. Its founders, Richelieu Dennis, Bonin Bough, and Travis Montaque, were on a mission to invest in Black-owned media, which led to a $75 million commitment from GroupM, under a wider goal to deploy at least $500 million by the end of 2022.

Group Black was described as a “first-of-its-kind media collective and accelerator, rooted in the advancement of Black-owned media properties,” in a news release. Its founding member companies were Essence, Holler, PlayVS, Afropunk, The Shade Room, and Baller Alert.

“Group Black is providing a real, tangible way for Black ownership to take root and thrive in an environment that has traditionally excluded or marginalized Black ownership,” said Dennis in the news release.

Montaque commented, per the release:

“We started Group Black to infuse diversity into the next generation of creativity and storytelling, and create scaled solutions for brands. The promise and approach are both urgent and personal … Our approach and allies have put us in a unique position to deploy significantly more dollars into existing and emerging Black-owned media companies than ever before.”

Group Black has undergone various changes since its inception, including Montaque and Dennis stepping down from their roles, leaving Bough as the only original co-founder, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Group Black was sued by two of its companies, owned by Essence Ventures, in October 2024 for allegations that it owed an estimated $20 million and misused funds to benefit not only the collective but also Montaque’s media company, Holler.

In September, Group Black announced it would be rebranded to Group Black Holdings and launched a new AI-powered media company called Portrait Media Group, People of Color in Tech reported.

In October 2025, Dennis sent a letter calling for the removal of Group Black’s board members, including Bough, according to Business Insider. He claimed there was “wrongdoing and breach of fiduciary duty,” that Group Black permitted “exorbitant expenditures not reasonably connected to the company’s operations,” that they failed to pay vendors and business partners, and they hired lawyers in a “wasteful attempt to devise frivolous defenses.”

Group Black’s latest allegation involves a $35.8 million lawsuit filed by NBCUniversal for unpaid invoices and guaranteed payments, according to a separate Business Insider article.

NBCUniversal had an exclusive rights deal with Group Black to sell advertisements in Black-led shows on Peacock. The partnership was designed to ensure both parties would share the revenue. However, NBCUniversal claims Group Black didn’t uphold its end of the deal within months of the agreement, formed in September 2023, despite $30 million in advertising being sold, reports Business Insider.

NBCUniversal repeatedly sought payments. Per the outlet, the lawsuit claims that in 2024, Group Black shifted its revenue share to zero to cover the shortfall, and Bough acknowledged that he would take the situation “very seriously.”

However, in a statement shared with Business Insider, Group Black said, “We dispute the claims made by NBCUniversal and intend to respond through the appropriate legal process. Group Black remains focused on its mission and serving its partners.”

NBCUniversal and Group Black’s partnership ended in September 2025.