Jerry Seinfeld says he's being sued over 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' because his 'friend' found out how much money Netflix paid

"Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee"/Crackle

• Jerry Seinfeld is facing a lawsuit over the origins of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee."
• Producer Christian Charles, who directed the pilot, claims in a lawsuit that he is the actual creator of the show.
• He claims that he approached Seinfeld in 2002 with the idea, and Seinfeld originally rejected it.
• Seinfeld argues that Charles only sued after learning how much money Seinfeld was making for each episode after the series was purchased by Netflix.

The concept for "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" is a simple one, but a lawsuit has turned the series' origins into a complicated mess.

Producer Christian Charles, who directed the pilot episode of the web-series-turned-Netflix-show, sued Jerry Seinfeld in February, claiming that he was the show's actual creator and not Seinfeld. Last week, Seinfeld's attorney filed a motion to dismiss, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

TMZ originally reported the lawsuit, and said Charles claimed to have pitched the show idea to Seinfeld in 2002, but Seinfeld wasn't interested at first. For those who don't know, the show is exactly what it sounds like: Seinfeld drives around with a fellow comedian in a fancy car and they get coffee together. Charles' original title ideas were allegedly "'67 Bug" or "Two Stupid Guys in a Stupid Car Driving to a Stupid Town."

Nearly a decade later, Charles' suit claimed, Seinfeld approached Charles about the concept again and the two filmed a pilot episode. The suit claimed Seinfeld abandoned Charles when Charles tried to assert ownership of the show, and Seinfeld went on to produce the show on his own.

Seinfeld reportedly made $750,000 per episode after "Comedians in Cars" was acquired by Netflix last year, and a new season drops on the streaming service on Friday. Now, Charles wants a "created by" credit and financial compensation, according to TMZ.

But Seinfeld's new court brief contested that Charles only sued after finding out how much Seinfeld was making per episode, the idea of the show was too broad to justify the lawsuit, and it's also a "textbook case" of being beyond the statue of limitations.

But even with so much drama unfolding, Seinfeld seems more concerned that it's a friend that is pursuing this lawsuit. Last week, Seinfeld told the Associated Press that it's "unfortunate when it's a friend and they decide to go for the money instead."

"That's not the nicest moment, but I'm used to it," he said.