|
 Thicke, 37, said in a deposition in April that he had been
largely absent during the composition of "Blurred Lines," due to
being under the influence of opioid painkiller Vicodin mixed
with alcohol.
"I had a drug and alcohol problem for the year and I didn't do a
sober interview. So I don't recall many things that I said,"
Thicke said in the deposition. He added that he was no longer
taking Vicodin.
The song was created by R&B artist and producer Pharrell
Williams, who said in deposition two days before Thicke's that
he had composed the melody and written the lyrics for the hit,
and that Thicke had "embellished" the origins of the song.
The previously sealed depositions were filed in Los Angeles
federal court on Monday in connection with a lawsuit by the
estate of late soul singer Marvin Gaye against Thicke and
Williams, accusing them of stealing from the Motown legend's
1977 song "Got to Give it Up."
Thicke's attorney Howard King said in a statement on Monday that
the release of the deposition was aimed at "diverting attention
from the obvious weakness of their legal claim."
Representatives for Williams did not respond to requests for
comment.
While Thicke and Williams both denied any similarities or
copyright infringement of Gaye's work, Thicke, a music producer
and singer, said he was "envious" of Williams creating the song
that would become his breakout into the mainstream pop industry.
[to top of second column] |
 "The biggest hit of my career was written and produced by
somebody else, and I was jealous and I wanted some of the
credit," Thicke said.
The singer caused a sensation with a raunchy performance of
"Blurred Lines" at last year's MTV Video Music Awards with Miley
Cyrus and was nominated for three Grammy awards this year,
including record of the year for "Blurred Lines."
As the song became more popular, Thicke said, "I started kind of
convincing myself that I was a little more part of it than I was."
The deposition sheds light on a tumultuous year for Thicke, in which
he separated from his actress wife Paula Patton, which he referenced
while being questioned.
When asked if he considered himself to be an honest person, Thicke
answered "No. That's why I'm separated," adding later "I told my
wife the truth. That's why she left me." When asked if he was
dishonest in interviews, he said, "I tell whatever I want to say to
help sell records."
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Mary Milliken and Cynthia
Osterman)
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