Lizzo’s company files new motion to dismiss lawsuit
Lizzo’s Big Grrrl touring company has filed a new motion to dismiss the lawsuit accusing the singer and her company of sexual harassment, discrimination and fat-shaming, among other charges.
The American singer and her touring company face a string of claims from dancers Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez, dating between 2021 and 2023.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in August, accuses Lizzo (real name Melissa Jefferson) of creating a hostile work environment in addition to allegations of religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment. The 35-year-old and choreographer Tanisha Scott are also accused of body-shaming.
Lizzo has now described the lawsuit as a “fabricated sob story” and has filed her own motion asking the court to dismiss it.
As reported by Rolling Stone, the singer and her representatives allege that the dancers in question had shown a “pattern of gross misconduct”.
The filing states: “Plaintiffs missed flights, arrived late and hungover to rehearsals and drunk to performances, entered into consensual sexual relationships with male crew members on tour, exhibited a rapid decline in the quality of their dancing and professionalism, and ultimately conspired to make and disseminate an unauthorized recording of a creative meeting with Lizzo and the dance cast.”
The singer and her representatives allege that the dancers in question had shown a “pattern of gross misconduct”
Included in the motion are written declarations from 18 of Lizzo’s employees disputing the claims first filed by a trio of former dancers.
The motion asks the court to dismiss the lawsuit under the anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) statute, which has the power to strike down lawsuits that threaten free speech.
The three dancers are represented by the attorney Neama Rahmani, who told Rolling Stone: “Even a first-year law student can see that ‘free speech’ does not cover Lizzo and her team’s illegal sexual harassment and racial, religious, and disability discrimination. The defense’s declarants are either defendants accused of wrongdoing, or people who are on Lizzo’s payroll, and their statements can’t be considered by the judge. That’s a question for the jury.
“Our clients have dozens of independent witnesses who support their stories, and we continue to receive inquiries from other former Lizzo employees who want to be new plaintiffs.”
In August, the attorney claimed that his firm is reviewing at least six new complaints about the singer.
In September, Lizzo’s personal legal team issued court documents asking the judge to dismiss the lawsuit “in its entirety”.
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Fyre Fest founder McFarland sued by PYRT investor
Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland is being sued by an investor in his new venture, PYRT.
Fans paid between $1,500 and $50,000 to attend the notorious festival, held on the island of Grand Exuma in the Bahamas in 2017, with the promise of luxury accommodation, gourmet food and music.
However, the event spectacularly collapsed on its first day, as ticket-holders arrived to find half-built tents, insufficient food and a dearth of performers upon arrival.
McFarland, 31, was jailed for fraud in 2018 and fined $26 million for his role in the festival, but announced plans to launch a treasure hunt called PYRT upon his early release last year.
Billboard reports that Jonathan Taylor, who met McFarland while both were serving prison sentences in Ohio, has filed a civil lawsuit claiming McFarland and his business partner Michael Falb agreed a deal which offered Taylor a one-third equity in PYRT in exchange for a $740,000.
Taylor alleges that McFarland and Falb reneged on their agreement and refused to return the money
However, Taylor alleges that McFarland and Falb later reneged on the agreement and refused to return the money, leading to his demand for $740,000 damages, along with statutory damages, punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.
The suit, filed in New York Supreme Court, states that McFarland will face legal action for civil fraud, conversion, civil conspiracy, breach of contract and unjust enrichment if he does not agree to repay the money to Taylor.
McFarland has not responded to requests for comment.
The disgraced entrepreneur announced plans to hold a sequel to Fyre Festival earlier this year, with the first batch of 100 tickets – priced at US$499 – selling out. A further six tiers of tickets, ranging between $799 and $7,999, are said to be “coming soon”.
The sequel’s location, date and line-up have not yet been confirmed, though the founder says it will take place in “the Caribbean” and that his unnamed partners are “targeting Fyre Festival 2 for the end of next year”.
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Wrongful death lawsuit filed after concert crush
The family of a woman who died in a stampede at a concert venue in the United States have launched legal action over her death.
Three women lost their lives in the crowd crush, which took place at Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York, following a show by rapper GloRilla on 5 March when concertgoers began rushing towards the exits after apparently mistaking the sound of confetti poppers for gunshots. Around 3,900 fans were in attendance at the event.
According to Wham, Rochester Police said that about 200 people claiming to have VIP tickets had attempted to push past security about 20 minutes before the end of the gig, leading to a jam between those trying to leave and those who had just arrived.
Bruce Stephens, husband of 35-year-old victim Aisha Stephens, is now suing the venue, its former owner Scott Donaldson, the performers on stage – GloRilla, aka Gloria Woods, and Finnesse2tymes, real name Ricky Hampton – along with the private security provider working the show. All defendants are accused of being “reckless, negligent and careless”.
The lawsuit was filed this week in Onondaga County and seeks unspecified damages. CNY Central reports that the suit is the first to be launched in relation to the incident and alleges that adequate safety and security measures were not provided at the concert, which it claims was held with “reckless disregard for the safety of others”.
The City of Rochester concluded there was no basis for criminal charges over the incident
Rhondesia Belton, 33, and 35-year-old Brandy Miller also died in the incident, while seven people required hospital treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
Earlier this year, the City of Rochester concluded there was no basis to bring criminal charges over the tragedy after a “comprehensive, multi-departmental investigation”.
National civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump previously intimated that he planned to file a lawsuit against the venue on behalf of one of the victims and several injured concertgoers.
The venue was shut down and changed hands just weeks after the fatal surge. According to paperwork filed with the DA’s office, Donaldson sold the venue on 23 March to 900 E Main Street Rochester LLC for $550,000, reported Spectrum News.
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Kiss sued over death of guitar tech
The family of a long-serving Kiss guitar tech who died after contracting Covid-19 while on tour have launched a lawsuit against the band, alleging negligence and wrongful death.
Francis Stueber, 53, who had worked with the group for more than two decades, passed away in hospital in October 2021 after being quarantined in a hotel room in Detroit, US for two days.
The lawsuit names Kiss members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, their manager Doc McGhee, promoter Live Nation and hotel chain Marriott International as defendants, according to documents seen by Rolling Stone.
“The failure to enforce or have adequate Covid-19 policies or procedures caused a Covid-19 outbreak amongst band members and tour personnel,” claims the suit.
“As a direct and proximate result of the dangerous condition created by defendants, decedent suffered fatal injuries and plaintiffs suffered damages.
“Defendants… breached their duty to plaintiffs by their negligent production, operation, inspection, supervision, management and control”
“Defendants… breached their duty to plaintiffs by their negligent production, operation, inspection, supervision, management and control over The End of the Road Tour that ultimately resulted in the death of decedent.”
The band, Live Nation and Marriott are yet to respond publicly to the lawsuit.
Speaking to RS at the time, three crew members alleged The End of the World Tour’s Covid-safe measures were insufficient. “Every day during the shows, we weren’t tested,” claimed one roadie. “It’s horrible that Fran passed, and it’s horrible if this is our protocol just for us to tour.”
Kiss, who said they were “profoundly heartbroken” by Stueber’s death, issued a statement denying the claims, insisting their safety protocols “met, but most often exceeded, federal, state, and local guidelines”.
“Ultimately this is still a global pandemic and there is simply no foolproof way to tour without some element of risk,” the statement added. “If certain crew chose to go out to dinner on a day off, or have beers at a local bar after the show, and did so without a mask or without following protocols, there is little that anyone can do to stop that. Particularly when many of our tour markets did not have any state or local mask mandates in place.”
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Easy Life announce final gigs before name change
Indie pop group Easy Life say they will play two final shows before changing their name after being hit with a trademark infringement lawsuit by the owner of the EasyJet brand.
The Wasserman Music-booked five-piece have announced two dates at short notice – a hometown show at O2 Academy Leicester tomorrow (12 October) and a gig at London’s Koko on Friday.
EasyGroup, which acquired the trademark for ‘EasyLife’ in July 2022, launched legal action against the band, accusing them of “riding on the coat tails of the valuable reputation” with their name, along with merchandise and posters.
The BBC reports that the band, who have been called Easy Life since 2015 and released their first single two years later, had promoted their 2021/22 Life’s a Beach tour with a poster showing a plane in the style of Easy Jet branding, and had also produced T-shirts in the company’s branded style.
“By wrongly creating a link with the claimant, the defendant benefits from an association with that positive view and vast brand recognition, regardless of whether the link was intended to be provocative or humorous,” say court documents cited by the broadcaster.
In a statement posted on their website, the band, who have not revealed their new name, say: “Having explored literally every possible avenue, we have realised that there are no good options available to us, and we need to change our name to move forward.
Our final day as the ‘easy life’ you know is probably Friday – fittingly Friday the 13th
“Sadly, it seems that justice is only available to those who can afford it. We simply don’t have the funds to access a fair trial in the high court. Not to mention the fact that this would likely rattle on through to 2025, and with this hanging over us we wouldn’t be able to release any music in the meantime. Our careers, and indeed our lives, would be on hold.
“Our final day as the ‘easy life’ you know is probably Friday – fittingly Friday the 13th. We have managed to get some shows together (literally booked last night), and we really hope as many of you as possible will be able to come and join us for the farewell parties. It’s with the deepest sadness that I confirm once again, that we, as Easy Life, will be playing our final shows this week.”
The band add that they “now need to go into a period of legal mediation with Easy Group about what happens next”.
In a previous statement, a spokesperson for Easy Group said: “Stelios [Haji-Ioannou] and Easy Group founded and now own the right to the easy brand name.
“Other companies, including Easylife [the catalogue company], pay annual royalties for its use as part of their business strategy. We cannot allow others to simply use it free, gratis and for nothing. That would be unfair.”
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Coldplay countersue former manager for £14 million
Coldplay are counter-suing their former manager Dave Holmes for £14 million (€16.2m), according to a report.
It was revealed last month that Holmes is seeking more than £10 million (€11.7m) in allegedly unpaid commission in his lawsuit against the band.
Representatives for Holmes, who worked with the group for more than 20 years prior to being dismissed last year, say the band are “refusing to honour [his] management contract and pay him what he is owed”. The group “vigorously disputed” the allegations and have now launched a counter-claim.
Court documents seen by The Times show that Holmes is accused of failing to “adequately to supervise and control” the budget for the band’s ongoing Music of The Spheres World Tour.
Among the claims are that Holmes ordered a $9.7m video screen – that was only used for 10 gigs and was too big to take on tour – and 16 bespoke stage pylons at a cost of €10.6m that turned out to be unusable.
“Had Mr Holmes exercised reasonable care and skill in the performance of his obligations, the band would not have incurred costs of at least £17.5 million,” it is alleged in the documents.
In addition, Coldplay allege that Holmes leveraged his position as manager to secure $30 million in loans from Live Nation, which they claim could have created a conflict of interest in tour negotiations.
Holmes is suing Coldplay in the UK High Court for breach of contract
“To the best of [our] knowledge… Mr Holmes used monies obtained by the loan agreements to fund a property development venture in or around Vancouver, Canada,” adds the band’s filing. “It is to be inferred that Mr Holmes was only able to acquire loans totalling $30 million at a fixed annual interest rate of 2.72% from Live Nation by virtue of his position as Coldplay’s manager.”
In a statement to The Times, Live Nation says that it “has a strong and longstanding relationship with Coldplay, adding that: “Any past dealings with their management team were considered an extension of this relationship.”
Holmes, who is suing Coldplay in the UK High Court for breach of contract, and the band began working together on two-album cycles from 2014, with his most recent deal, covering 2019’s Everyday Life and 2021’s Music of the Spheres.
He alleges that he began planning for the group’s next two albums – plus preparations for their 2024/25 tours – after his contract was extended to 2025. However, shortly afterwards, Coldplay claimed the deal had not yet been agreed to and that his previous agreement had ended.
The manager says he was then informed by the band’s solicitor that they wanted to change his role to ‘head of touring’ and limit his commission to just concerts. He alleges he was given two drafts of the new contract in August 2022, only for the band to later withdraw the offer and inform him through their solicitors that he was being dismissed.
A spokesperson for Holmes tells The Times: “Coldplay know they are in trouble with their defence. Accusing Dave Holmes of non-existent ethical lapses and other made-up misconduct will not deflect from the real issue at hand – Coldplay had a contract with Dave, they are refusing to honour it and they need to pay Dave what they owe him.”
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Lawsuit by former Coldplay manager seeks £10m+
Former Coldplay manager Dave Holmes is seeking more than £10 million (€11.7m) in allegedly unpaid commission in his lawsuit against the band, according to a new report.
It was reported last month that the four members of the group – Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion – are being sued by Holmes in the UK High Court for breach of contract.
Representatives for Holmes say the band are “refusing to honour [his] management contract and pay him what he is owed” – a claim that is “vigorously disputed” by Coldplay.
Holmes had worked with the British group since before their 2000 debut album Parachutes, but the parties quietly went their separate ways last year, with the quartet continuing to be managed by the team of Phil Harvey, Mandi Frost and Arlene Moon.
The Daily Mail reports that Holmes and the band began working together on two-album cycles from 2014, with his most recent deal, covering 2019’s Everyday Life and 2021’s Music of the Spheres, their eighth and ninth LPs, respectively. The lawsuit claims that Coldplay later extended the deal to the end of 2025, covering a future 10th and 11th album.
Holmes claims that, following discussions with the band, he had started planning for the albums, as well as preparations for 2024/25 tours.
However, it is alleged that, shortly afterwards, Coldplay claimed the contract had not yet been agreed to and that his previous agreement had ended.
“Dave Holmes successfully managed Coldplay for more than 22 years, steering them to be one of the most successful bands in music history”
According to the lawsuit, the band were paid a £35m advance for their 10th LP and £30m for their 11th and 12th albums.
Holmes, who received a 10% commission on the net profits of the group’s records, tours and related activities for the past four LPs, says he was then informed by the band’s solicitor that they wanted to change his role to ‘head of touring’ and limit his commission to just concerts.
He alleges he was given two drafts of the new contract in August 2022, only for the band to later withdraw the offer and inform him through their solicitors that he was being dismissed.
Holmes alleges that the group are refusing to pay him for his contributions to the future album and tour preparations, and is demanding they pay the commissions as outlined in the contract. He is also calling on them to cover the “loss and damage equal to the profits”, plus everything he is entitled to from prior deals.
“Dave Holmes successfully managed Coldplay for more than 22 years, steering them to be one of the most successful bands in music history,” says Holmes’ lawyer Phil Sherrell. “Now, as the legal case shows, Coldplay is refusing to honour Dave’s management contract and pay him what he is owed.”
A spokesperson for Coldplay says that Holmes’ management contract expired at the end of 2022, “at which point they decided not to start a new one”. “The matter is now in the hands of Coldplay’s lawyers and the claims are being vigorously disputed,” adds the statement.
Coldplay, who have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, recently confirmed their Music of the Spheres World Tour will extend to 2024.
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Coldplay sued by former manager Dave Holmes
The four members of Coldplay are being sued by their former manager Dave Holmes over a contractual dispute, according to court documents filed in the UK.
Holmes had worked with the British group since before their 2000 debut album Parachutes, but the parties quietly went their separate ways last year, with the quartet continuing to be managed by the team of Phil Harvey, Mandi Frost and Arlene Moon.
A band representative declined to report further to Variety, which first reported the story, but a source tells the publication that the lawsuit refers to a contractual issue. The legal documents have not yet been made public.
Coldplay, who have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, recently confirmed their Music of the Spheres World Tour will extend to a third summer, with more than 7.5m tickets already sold. The dates for 2024 include the band’s first ever shows in Greece, Romania and Finland, as well as their first show in Rome since 2003 and first visit to Budapest since 2008.
“We started to plan this tour when we were on the last tour, in 2017”
The trek, which began in Costa Rica in March 2022, was a new entry at No.6 in Billboard‘s updated list of the all-time top 10 highest-grossing concert tours, having garnered $561.2m at last count. It has already comfortably outsold Coldplay’s previous A Head Full of Dreams tour of 2016/17, which was attended by 5.38m people.
“We started to plan this tour when we were on the last tour, in 2017,” Holmes said last year as part of IQ‘s Music of the Spheres tour report. “It seemed crazy at the time, but we were holding venues for 2022 and 2023, as some stadiums actually need to be booked that far in advance.”
Meanwhile, it was confirmed yesterday (16 August) that UK-based agent Josh Javor, who spent 18 years at X-ray Touring, working closely with the late co-founder Steve Strange on acts including Coldplay, is joining WME as partner and co-head of the London music department.
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Class action lawsuit launched against Live Nation
A number of legal firms have instigated class action lawsuits against Live Nation over claims the company downplayed allegations that it had breached antitrust laws.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, New York-based Bernstein Liebhard has invited investors to join a lawsuit against LN filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, with three other law firms reportedly having done the same.
The letter alleges the defendants “made materially false and misleading statements”, failing to disclose that Live Nation “engaged in anticompetitive conduct, including charging high fees and extended contracts with talent, and retaliated against venues”.
“As a result, Live Nation was reasonably likely to incur regulatory scrutiny and face fines, penalties, and reputational harm,” it continues.
It follows Politico‘s 28 July report that the Department of Justice could file an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster – who merged in 2010 – by the end of 2023, alleging that “the entertainment giant is abusing its power over the live music industry”. LN’s stock price fell 7.8% after the report.
“There has never been a situation where the DOJ has come and attempted to retrade a settlement”
Live Nation is yet to comment on the proceedings. However, CFO Joe Berchtold alluded to the DoJ investigation at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media and Telecom Conference back in March, stating it could have a “chilling impact on their ability to do settlements ever again”, due to its previous settlements with LN in 2010 and 2019.
“We have a binding agreement with the DOJ as it relates to any perceived deeds in the past, much as you have individual settlements,” he said. “There has never been a situation where the DOJ has come and attempted to retrade a settlement. So a) there are legal questions about whether or not they could retrade a settlement. And b) it would have a chilling impact on their ability to ever do settlements again.
“The first barrier that you got to overcome is the fact we’ve actually had settlements. Two, is it seems to be, pick any random data path you want and it’s, ‘Ticketmaster’s a monopoly, therefore Live Nation-Ticketmaster should be broken up.’”
Berchtold said the assertion that Ticketmaster is a monopoly was not borne out by the facts.
“Market share has declined and more of the money has consistently gone to the venues, as opposed to Ticketmaster,” he said. “Neither of those things happens with a monopoly.”
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Lizzo denies dancers’ claims
Lizzo has responded to a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against her by three of her former dancers, calling the allegations “false” and “too outrageous to not be addressed”.
The American singer and her touring company Big Grrrl Big Touring (BGBT) face a string of claims from dancers Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez, dating between 2021 and 2023.
Legal action filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses Lizzo of creating a hostile work environment in addition to allegations of religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment. The 35-year-old and choreographer Tanisha Scott are also accused of body-shaming.
Lizzo, whose real name Melissa Jefferson, has denied the claims in a lengthy social media post, in which she describes the last few days as “gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing”.
“Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed,” she writes. “These sensationalised stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.
“As an artist, I have always been very passionate about what I do. I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans.
“With passion comes hard work and high standards. Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.”
“I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticise or terminate an employee because of their weight”
Davis and Williams were introduced to Lizzo in March 2021 when they were contestants on the star’s Amazon Prime reality TV show, with Rodriguez joining the team after being brought in to perform on Lizzo’s Rumors music video. Williams and Davis were both eventually dismissed.
Lizzo recently wrapped up her 2022/23 The Special Tour with a series of dates in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, having played a slate of European festival dates in the summer at Belsonic (Northern Ireland) Glastonbury (England), Mad Cool (Spain), Open’er (Poland), Lollapalooza Stockholm (Sweden), Roskilde (Denmark), NOS Alive (Portugal) and North Sea Jazz (Netherlands).
“I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days,” adds Lizzo in her statement. “I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not.
“There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticise or terminate an employee because of their weight.
“I’m hurt but I will not let the good work I’ve done in the world be overshadowed by this. I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time.”
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