The legal battle between Ramone's relatives threatens to derail the Pete Davidson-directed Netflix film

Relatives of the punk legends Ramones are dueling in legal disputes – in a long-simmering feud that threatens to torpedo a planned Netflix film starring Pete Davidson as the band's legendary singer.

Guitarist Johnny Ramone's widow, Linda Cummings-Ramone, sparked the latest round of bitter brawl in January when she sued singer Joey Ramone's brother, Mitchel Hyman, and his manager David Frey for allegedly trying to take her out from the film and the band's merchandising deals.

But Hyman — who filed a countersuit last month — told The Post the film is not a band biopic.

“It’s not a book about the Ramones,” Hyman told The Post of his 2009 memoir “I Slept with Joey Ramone,” on which the film is said to be based.

“It's not a Ramones story,” he said of the book, which details growing up with the singer, who struggled with debilitating obsessive-compulsive disorder before his death in 2000. “It's a story about growing up with a man… who defied all odds and became an inspiration to millions. It's all about this.”

Hyman and Cummings-Ramone have been embroiled on and off for years in a legal battle over the Ramones and their legacy that began in 1974 in Forest Hills, Queens.

At this point, singers Joey (real name: Jeffrey Hyman) and Johnny (real name: John Cummings) formed the band with bassist Dee Dee (Douglas Colvin) and drummer Tommy (Thomas Erdelyi).

The band became one of the most influential groups in rock history, but only Joey and Johnny remained, despite various line-up changes, until the band's final departure in 1996. All four founders have died.

Despite their large fan base and near-mythical status, the Ramones were never a commercial success.

It took 38 years for the band's April 1976 debut to sell 500,000 copies and be certified gold – and in October 2022, Joey Ramone's estate sold a share of its music publishing rights for $10 million.

Currently, Hyman and Cummings-Ramone separately control Ramones Production, Inc., the company responsible for the band's work.

Hyman inherited 50% from his mother when she died in 2007, and Cummings-Ramone inherited her half when Johnny died in 2004.

In a phone interview Sunday, Cummings-Ramone told The Post that she was simply trying to protect the band's legacy.

“This is a very unfortunate situation for Ramones fans and widows in rock and roll – it's very sad what happens to widows when someone wants what you have,” she said.

“That’s what I’m trying to do: protect the Ramones’ legacy,” she continued. “That's all. And that's what Johnny Ramone left me on his deathbed. Because his legacy was the most important thing to him and the most important thing to me.”

But in their retaliation lawsuit, Hyman — himself a musician who performs under his stage name Mickey Leigh — and Frey claimed Cummings-Ramone was trying to take over RPI and “establish herself as Queen of the Ramones.”

“Indeed, Ms. Cummings-Ramone's primary purpose is to embarrass, harass, and destroy Mr. Hyman's integrity, create a completely false narrative about him, rewrite her role in the Ramones' history, and create a popularity contest.” “In her eyes, she is taking over RPI and the legacy of a band that she was never a member of and with which she had nothing to do creatively,” the damning lawsuit says.

“She is driven by a different agenda, including her own fame and vanity, as well as a self-serving desire to hinder projects and control RPI for reasons that conflict with her fiduciary duties and cause her to abandon any cooperation with Mr. Hyman,” it continued.

And the Netflix film announced in April 2021 appears to be caught in the crossfire.

In her January lawsuit, Cummings-Ramone alleged that Hyman and Frey “repeatedly failed to disclose the lucrative film contract that defendants unilaterally entered into or to obtain approval from RPI's co-shareholder and director, Ms. Ramone, and instead this significant corporate opportunity for their own exclusive purposes.” Benefit.

“It would be an injustice to the band and its legacy to allow the defendants alone to tell the definitive story of the Ramones,” Cummings-Ramone said in the papers, adding that doing so would “significantly and irreparably harm RPI and Ms. Ramone.” .”

She also claimed that Hyman threatened to reveal “compromising private footage” that his brother had of her. Joey Ramone reportedly dated Cummings-Ramone before she married Johnny Ramone, which caused tension within the group in their final years.

Both Hyman and Frey denied both allegations.

“There was never any threat with that,” Frey told The Post. “That is a blatant lie. And compromising footage? That depends.”

Meanwhile, Hyman took exception to the idea of ​​them making a movie behind Cummings-Ramone's back.

“What does she base this statement on?” he asked. “What gives her the authority or inclination to even say that? I couldn’t tell you because I have no idea.”

Frey reiterated this, saying the book and planned film are family memoirs and not band revelations.

“It has never been presented to anyone as a Ramones biopic,” Frey said – but added that Cummings-Ramone had granted the film rights years ago.

“This is something she agreed to in 2006,” Frey said. “Whether she remembers signing it or not, or under what circumstances she signed it, she signed it. Therefore, she granted all these rights.”

The question is whether the legal dogfight will cause Netflix to run away. But Hyman said he hasn't heard anything specific.

“It’s concerning — I think that’s a safe word for me,” he told The Post. “I can’t speak for Netflix. I feel like they're not happy about it. But they didn't call and say, 'We don't like this, we're done.'”

A Netflix spokesman declined to comment on Sunday.

Representatives for Pete Davidson — who is also listed as a writer and executive producer on the project — did not respond to requests for comment.

The Post has also contacted Cummings-Ramone's attorney.

Despite the years of infighting, Hyman said he doesn't think it will affect the Ramones' leather-clad legacy.

“The Beatles are no less popular despite what we’ve heard about them,” Hyman said. “People will still love the songs. I don't think the legacy is damaged by any of these things.

“But you know, it depends on the person,” he continued.

“Some people don’t read this or don’t care. And some people are gossip mongers who thrive on that shit.”