American Idol winner Phillip Phillips seeks to void 'oppressive' management deals with show producer
Phillip Phillips. photosthatrock / Shutterstock.com
Phillip Phillips, the singer who won the American Idol competition in 2012, is seeking to void the contracts he signed with the show’s producer in order to compete.
Phillips has filed a petition with the California Labor Commissioner that clams the deals violate the state’s Talent Agencies Act, which says only licensed talent agents can find employment for their clients, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Phillips’ lawyer says the deals with show producer 19 Entertainment governing management, merchandising and recording are “oppressive, fatally conflicted,” the story says. The company is breaching its fiduciary duty, the petition claims, by requiring Phillips to take the jobs that benefit 19 Entertainment rather than the singer.
Among the gigs lined up for Phillips was an uncompensated show promoting JetBlue in exchange for its support of a 2013 Idol tour that didn’t include Phillips, the petition says. Another performance at an insurance company was characterized as an endorsement deal, according to the petition, which paid 19 Entertainment a 40 percent commission rather than a 20 percent commission.
The petition also alleges the company withheld information from Phillips, including the planned title for his album released last year.
A spokesperson for 19 Entertainment told the Hollywood Reporter it has always acted in Phillips’ best interests. “We will vigorously defend ourselves from any baseless claims to the contrary and from any attempt to interfere with our rights and relationships,” the spokesperson said.
