'Will & Grace' lawsuit stalls over juror

Jurors who reached a verdict in the multimillion dollar lawsuit brought by the creators of "Will & Grace" against NBC Studios may have to begin deliberations again after the jury foreman was removed.

The foreman was removed Thursday for failing to reveal he had a Web site critical of corporations, including NBC. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Warren Ettinger was expected to decide Friday whether to declare a mistrial or order jurors to begin deliberations again with an alternate juror.

David Kohan and Jason "Max" Mutchnick, who had a contract to share in the sitcom's profits, sued NBC Studios for $55 million in December 2003. They claimed the company did not seek fair market value for the sitcom in renegotiating its license fee despite an earlier commitment to maximize revenues.

The lawsuit alleged NBC Studios cut a sweetheart deal because "Will & Grace" was produced by NBC Studios and licensed to NBC. Attorneys for NBC Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal, denied wrongdoing.

Jurors had reached a verdict Wednesday, but it was not disclosed.

A spokesman for NBC said they found out about the Web site Wednesday night and immediately alerted the judge.

"I think what's important to know is that we're pleased we were able to find that information out and bring it to the court's attention," said Nate Kirtman, a spokesman for NBC Universal.

Ronald J. Nessim, an attorney for Kohan and Mutchnick, said the Web site reflected only the man's political views.