Friday August 13 08:55 PM EDT

David Duchovny's Conspiracy Theory

David Duchovny and Fox Mulder. How do you distinguish the actor from the character? We have no idea.

Apparently taking a cue from his ever-wary X-Files FBI agent, Duchovny is trusting no one, seeing conspiracies and, for good measure, suing his bosses.

Mulder, are you there? (Answer: Yup.)

In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Thursday, Duchovny says 20th Century Fox, the studio behind the long-running sci-fi/thriller series, cheated him out of millions, in part, by selling X-Files reruns to inhouse cable network FX.

The 39-year-old TV star is seeking at least $25 million in damages, according to Daily Variety. The lawsuit itself does not set a sum.

Additionally, the complaint alleges X-Files creator Chris Carter was paid "hush money" ($4 million) and awarded a new Fox series deal in order to stay silent about the allegedly bum deal. While Duchovny thinks his boss was in on the fix, the lawsuit does not name Carter as a defendant.

The Duchovny complaint alleges breach of contract, breach of good faith and, yes, conspiracy, among other charges.

Fox declined direct comment on the litigation. "Suffice to say, it is regrettable that Mr. Duchovny and his representatives have opted to communicate this matter through the press rather than directly with Fox," it said in a statement.

There was no further comment from Duchovny's camp, but court papers make clear his gripes. According to the actor, instead of putting The X-Files on the open market, Fox sold old episodes to FX at a low-ball price, costing Duchovny, who gets a cut of the show's profits, millions.

It was unclear if costar Gillian Anderson had a similar profit-sharing deal--and felt similarly slighted. A rep for the actress today said she had no comment.

Duchovny's lawsuit is similar to ones previously filed by Burt Reynolds over his 1990-94 sitcom Evening Shade, and Wind Dancer Production Group over the recently evicted Home Improvement.

Duchovny is entering his seventh season on The X-Files. Long before the legal battle emerged, it was widely assumed this would be the swan song for both the stars and the show. With a lawsuit now filed, fans are bracing for the inevitable.

"Not sure what to think, but [it] seems it would be hard for him to sign a new contract after this," a Netizen on a Duchovny newsgroup (alt.fan.david-duchovny) wrote today.