Texas judge wants $10M set aside for woman involved in initial publication of 'Fifty Shades'

A Texas judge has told lawyers for an Australian woman to set aside $10 million for a former business partner who says she was cheated out of her share of the sale of the rights to the best-selling "Fifty Shades Trilogy."

State District Judge Susan McCoy said Wednesday that she wants the money deposited in a court registry by Sept. 25 as attorneys seek to negotiate a judgment amount for Jennifer Pedroza.

A jury determined that Amanda Hayward cut Pedroza out of her share of royalties from the $40 million sale of the erotic trilogy to Random House. Pedroza accused Hayward of using trickery to oust her from their online publishing company before the deal was struck.

A lawyer for Hayward says she will appeal.