This is The Legal Beat, a weekly music law newsletter from Billboard Pro, bringing you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, landmark decisions and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: Kelly Clarkson launches a new front in a legal war with her ex-husband. R. Kelly is pushing to overturn his sex-assault convictions. Ariana Grande finalizes her divorce from Dalton Gomez. and many more.
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THE BIG STORY: Kelly Clarkson is suing her ex-husband
Kelly Clarkson's ongoing legal battle with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock just got more complicated.
Didn't they finalize their divorce in 2022? Sure, but that personal settlement didn't resolve more difficult business entanglements—namely, Clarkson's relationship with Starstruck Entertainment, a management company owned by Blackstock's father that oversaw her career for years.
Shortly after Clarkson filed for divorce, Starstruck sued her for millions in allegedly unpaid fees, claiming she had “invested a lot of time, money, energy and dedication” into her and “developed Clarkson into a mega superstar.”
Clarkson responded by filing a complaint with the California Labor Commissioner, resulting in a $2.6 million judgment last year that her ex-husband and Starstruck had violated the California Talent Agencies Act (TAA) by serving not only as her personal managers, but as unlicensed talent agents. procure business deals.
With Blackstock appealing the November ruling, Clarkson filed a new case in Los Angeles court this week – reiterating her labor law complaint but potentially aiming to go even further. To learn more, read the full story, which includes the actual lawsuit Clarkson filed against Blackstock.
Other top stories this week…
R. KELLY APPEAL OF ABUSE OF CONVICTION — A lawyer for the disgraced singer urged a federal appeals court to overturn his sex-assault convictions and 30-year prison sentence, warning that the case against Kelly had stretched federal racketeering laws “to the point of absurdity” and could potentially turn college fraternities into illegal conspiracies.
REVERSAL OF CONVICTION FOR MURDER — A London appeals court has overturned the murder conviction of Vybz Kartel, the Jamaican dance star who has collaborated with Rihanna, Jay-Z and others. The appeals court ruled that the guilty verdict was tainted by a “fatal” error by the trial court: allowing the jury to proceed despite news that one of the jurors had tried to bribe others.
HERE COMES SCATMAN — The Black Eyed Peas and Daddy Yankee are facing a copyright lawsuit over claims they illegally sampled the classic '90s song “Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)” on their 2022 song “Bailar Contigo”. ” The suit alleges that the artists only promised to include the song and not the sample, but “simply lied” in order to “avoid paying a larger license fee.”
THE JIMMIE ALLEN ASSAULT CASE HAS BEEN OVERWHELMED — The country star's former manager has agreed to dismiss her lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted her, ending the case less than a year after she filed it. In the same filing, Allen also agreed to drop his lawsuit accusing the woman of defamation. The lawsuit will continue against Wide Open Music, where plaintiff Jane Doe worked, and its founder, Ash Bowers. Allen will also continue to face a second lawsuit alleging the singer assaulted a woman in a Las Vegas hotel room and secretly recorded her.
NBA YOUNGBOY CASE ON PAUSE — A federal judge has ruled that the criminal case against YoungBoy Never Break Again on gun charges must be stayed until the U.S. Supreme Court decides a closely watched Second Amendment battle this spring, potentially delaying a trial that had been scheduled to start in July. The upcoming SCOTUS decision will address the federal gun ban for domestic abusers. YoungBoy is accused of violating a similar gun ban for previously convicted felons.
DRAKE WANTS OUT OF ASTROLOGY CASE — Lawyers for the rapper have asked a Texas judge to throw him out of the sprawling trial over the 2021 disaster at Travis Scott's Astroworld festival that left 10 dead and hundreds injured. Drake was named in the lawsuits for performing on stage with Scott during the show, but his lawyers say he had nothing to do with planning the event and can't be sued for merely making a brief guest appearance.
THANKS, NEXT — Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez have finalized their divorce in Los Angeles family court, with the singer agreeing to pay her ex-husband $1.25 million, plus half of the proceeds from the sale of their home together and $25,000 from his attorneys' fees. will not pay him any permanent alimony. The legal separation was relatively easy, as the couple had signed a prenuptial agreement and had no children or other significant legal issues.
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