Actor Bonnie Aarons, who is popularly known for her haunting portrayal of Valak in the Nun film franchise, has filed a lawsuit against the makers, Warner Bros Discovery, accusing them of hiding her share from the merchandise royalties and receipts of money earned that used her features and portrayal.
As per Collider report, the actor's lawyer made the case how Bonnie's features made the character a success and quoted WB head Peter Safran who had said, "The moment we saw [Ms. Aarons], with the unique geography of her face, everybody said: ‘This is exactly who we want; this is who it has to be." The lawsuit also claimed that about $365 million grossed worldwide since the character first appeared in Conjuring 2, including the merchandise. It also claimed that despite the character becoming a success she was paid only $71,500 and that the company did not share the money risen from the "merchandise exploiting Ms. Aarons’ likeness".
Bonnie first made her Valak cameo appearance in The Conjuring 2 and Annabelle: Creation. Subsequently, the success of her character made way for a spin-off and she appeared in the titular in The Nun. She is set to reprise her role in the upcoming sequel Nun 2, which is set to hit the theatres on September 8.