Duchovny: 'X-Files' Conspiracy?

"X-Files" star David Duchovny sued Rupert Murdoch's 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Thursday, alleging that the studio has cheated him out of millions of dollars in profits from the TV series. Variety reports that the lawsuit, filed in the Santa Monica branch of Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Fox sold various rights to the "X-Files" to its own or affiliated companies at below-market prices and engaged in other actions that reduced the apparent profits generated by the series.

• Adding an unusual twist, Duchovny also alleges that series creator and executive producer Chris Carter conspired with Fox to cover up the self-dealing and was paid hush money amounting to millions of dollars for his compliance. Carter, however, is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
  
  
• Although the amount of damages is not specified in the complaint, sources say Duchovny is seeking in excess of $25 million. Duchovny is not planning to leave the series, which is beginning its seventh season.