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Beyoncé & Mom Fitted for Suit
A former pal has designs on Beyoncé Knowles' bank account.
The R&B star and her mother, Tina Knowles, are on the receiving end of a $1.5 million lawsuit brought by an ex-business associate who claims they owe him money for a deal he brokered on their behalf that led to the creation of their House of Dereon clothing line.
The suit, filed in New York State Supreme Court by Greg Walker, CEO of Icon Entertainment, alleges the Knowles hired him in Augugst 2003 to broker a slew of endorsement and marketing agreements, including a $15 million contract with clothing maker Wear Me Apparel Corp. The latter deal resulted in the formation of House of Dereon, the Knowles-branded hip-haute fashion label tailored toward young contemporary women.
Per court papers, Walker claims that the mother-daughter tandem stiffed him out of his fee, purportedly paying him a meager $25,000 for his services instead of the 10 percent, or $1.5 million, he believes he's due.
"Beyoncé and Tina Knowles agreed on the terms of our business relationship, but have failed to properly compensate me for reasons unknown to me," Walker said in a statement. "I just want to receive my fair share and move on with my business."
Also listed as a defendant is Wear Me Apparel, which, Walker claims, still owes him commission above the $85,000 it has paid him.
A publicist for the "Dangerously in Love" singer, Yvette, Noel-Schure, declined to comment, as did reps for House of Dereon and Wear Me Apparel.
This isn't the first time in recent memory that Beyoncé has had to mobilize her lawyers.
A year ago, the "Bootylicious" Grammy winner was sued by singer-songwriter Jennifer Armour who accused Knowles' 2003 chart-topper "Baby Boy" ripped off a song written by Armour called "Got a Little Bit of Love for You."
In 2003, Knowles and her former Destiny's Child mates were hit with a $200 million copyright-infringement lawsuit filed by a Miami-based music producer who claimed they stole one of his tunes for their 2001 mega-hit "Survivor."
And while it hasn't risen to the level of a court case, several unhappy Knowles devotees have launched a petition drive asking her label, Columbia Records, to make her reshoot the music video for the single "Déjà Vu," saying it fails to live up to her unique talents. Among their humorous complaints, Knowles' dancing was "erratic, confusing and alarming," and her outfits "unbelievable and ridiculous."
The petition also poked fun at her onscreen chemistry with real-life beau, Jay-Z, who appears in the video, claiming "the sexual themes between the duo are alarming and show unacceptable interactions between the two."
Knowles has completed filming the movie musical Dreamgirls, due out in December, and is now preparing to get back out on the road. She recently auditioned musicians for an all-girl back-up band that will accompany her on a fall tour in support of her hugely anticipated second solo album, B'Day.
Appropriately enough, the disc drops on her 25th birthday, Sept. 5.
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