What Legal Issue Is Mindy Kaling’s New Netflix Show Running Point Entangled In Ahead Of Its Release?

Mindy Kaling's upcoming project is encountering legal issues just days before its debut on Netflix. Find out what’s causing the trouble.

Written by Sakshi Shelke , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Feb 25, 2025 | 07:14 PM IST | 6.8K

Running Point (CC: IMDb)

It seems that the new Netflix venture Running Point is already experiencing some difficulties even before its scheduled release. The show, co-created by Mindy Kaling, has become the subject of legal trouble.

A lawsuit has been reportedly filed by Pepperdine University against Netflix and the studio. The plaintiff alleges that the show has incorporated a basketball team whose branding, logo and color scheme—blue, white, and orange—are similar to those of their sports teams.

Apart from that, the venture has also highlighted the number 37 in its marketing, which is an important number to the university, as 1937 was the year it was founded.

As per the outlet, the lawsuit also mentioned that the show’s trailer includes many "examples of risqué, inappropriate, and illegal behavior," that are "depicted and celebrated." These allegedly include "references to substance use, violence, sexually explicit imagery and dialogue, and foul language," which reportedly makes Pepperdine, a Christian educational institution, unwilling to be associated with the show.

The co-creators of the project—Mindy Kaling, Elaine Ko, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen—have not been included in the filing, according to the report.

The plaintiff is seeking “injunctive relief to prevent further use of Pepperdine’s trademarks.” They are also seeking compensation for the claimed harm caused to their brand due to infringement and misappropriation, according to the report.

Running Point, which stars Kate Hudson, will be available for streaming on Netflix on February 27, 2025.