November 14, 2011 
Harlem nun Delois Blakely claims Walt Disney Co. and Sony Pictures unlawfully used her life story as the basis for the hit comedy Sister Act, and is suing accordingly.
Blakely’s autobiography The Harlem Street Nun (published in 1987) detailed her experiences as a “young, Black, singing nun serving the street people and youths”.
According to her complaint, filed almost twenty years after the film’s release, Blakely approached a number of film studios and producers with a three-page synopsis of her book. One of those studios was Tri Star Pictures, where Scott Rudin allegedly picked up the project and brought it to Disney.
Also worth noting: the lead character played by Whoopi Goldberg was named Deloris.
Sister Act grossed more than $230 million at the box office and was followed by a sequel (best known for its puntastic subtitle Back in the Habit) as well as a hit Broadway musical.
For those of you keeping up with the Hollywood lawsuits of 2011:
Joyce McKinney sues Errol Morris over Tabloid
Screenwriter sues Sylvester Stallone over Expendables
Man sues film-makers of The Hangover Part 2 for ‘ripping off’ his life
Women sues over misleading Drive trailer
Harlan Ellison sues the makers of In Time
Quickflix 
What is the statute of limitations on suing for infringed life rights as a singing nun?
At least the team behind “the Flying Nun” are safe!