Lawyer Cost Steven Tyler a 6-8M American Idol Pay Raise Says Lawsuit

By On 10/12/2012 · 13 Comments · In American Idol, Steven Tyler

Share on TumblrShare via email

In 2011, Steven Tyler’s manager was angling for a big raise for the singer to return as American Idol judge for a second season. The manager claims the lawyer they hired undermined them, basically sacrificing Steven’s 6-8 million dollar raise in order to do more business with American Idol.  The lawyer then went on to represent some of American Idol’s talent. On Thursday, the Steven’s ex-management brought an 8 million dollar lawsuit against the lawyer and her firm.

The Aerosmith lead singer’s former manager says lawyer Dina LaPolt poisoned Steven Tyler’s contract renegotiations with American Idol, costing him a multimillion-dollar raise. Kovac Media Group/Tenth Street Entertainment today filed an $8 million lawsuit (read it here) against the entertainment lawyer and her West Hollywood firm. American Idol and its former judge are not named in the breach of fiduciary duty complaint. In fact Tyler is not named at all. Instead he is referred to as “The Artist” throughout the filing, though it is pretty clear from the players, his touring band and his role as judge for two seasons on the Fox show exactly who he is. The suit claims that in 2011 LaPolt lost “hot commodity” Tyler a $6 million to $8 million raise in his Idol contract for a second season on the show.

Also, the lawsuit claims that the lawyer undermined the plaintiff to a senior manager at the firm, who left Kovac to join XIX, Simon Fuller’s company, taking Steven with him.  The plaintiff also asserts that the defendant failed to pay the management company commissions that were  due.

Via Deadline

 
  • http://twitter.com/Free_in_march El oh El

    Oh boy, this is Lauren, James and Haley’s lawyer also. Dina is a tough lady. I imagine  this lawsuit  will go nowhere.

  • roarpen

    Tenth Street’s exec left them to become VP of 19- Josh Klemme. If they aren’t representing Steven then they are just angling for money they didn’t earn. Steven told James he should hire Dina.

  • usedtobelucy

    Well, you weren’t worth the raise anyway, you lazy, washed-up schmuck. And I guess the management company figures that they can do better by giving up the, you know, managing part and spending their time throwing frivolous lawsuits at the wall. Idiots.

  • Chris

    Hmmm. Likely sour grapes seeing all the new judges make bank.

  • http://twitter.com/MikhailXO MichaelG (MikhailXO)

    Hmmmm….I hate lawyers, so….Go Steven! 

  • girlygirltoo

    If this is true, why isn’t Steven himself suing the lawyer? If I’m reading this right, the only person who is suing is his his manager.

  • marmom07

    LOL IMO Stephen was earning the money they were already paying him so he wasn’t worth what ever extra he was going for.

  • chillj

    II need to know the talent the lawyer “went on” to represent before judging this suit.

  • DragonFly

     Sour grapes, ST deserving more $$ – ANY alleged misrepresentation needs to be looked at.  W/ST’s recommendation (at least James I remember talking about it) & if true Lauren & Haley too–someone needs to clear the air.  Also, a “little bit” of agreement to the post ending GO STEVEN!! (lol)

  • Soakey

    “Beautiful, just beautiful”

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_F3XJE5GRAUMYR7Y5RYZUW7SC4U md

    I think Dina is still Steven’s lawyer. Sounds to me like they wanted to
    play hardball and when American Idol balked, she approached AI on his
    behalf to work out a deal that was more attractive to them.

    In return for taking the senior manager, they reached a settlement that would give the management company 60% of the management commission related to touring the first year and 40% the second year.

    This year, Dina began taking a cut and that effectively reduced their take by 50%. That’s what this suit is really about.

  • http://twitter.com/lufflyness Jenna

    Oh gosh, cry me a river -_-

  • http://twitter.com/Lillyfield2 Cherry Lillyfield

    Didn’t he just buy a million dollar car?  I don’t think he’s hurting for money.  He will probably get something out of it, though- they’ll probably settle.