Wednesday, January 2, 2008

NE-YO SUES R. KELLY FOR DROPPING HIM FROM TOUR; NE-YO SAYS HE HAD AN 'ORAL AGREEMENT' WITH R. KELLY.

R. Kelly's promoter has been hit with a lawsuit by singer Ne-Yo, after he was mysteriously dropped from a prestigious support slot on the R&B superstar's American tour in November (2007). The So Sick hitmaker -real name Shaffer Smith - claims he was kicked off the tour after just two shows because his opening set was getting a better response from the audience than concert headliner Kelly's headline act. At the time of the incident, Kelly's representatives claimed Ne-Yo had never signed a contract. But in legal papers filed at Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday (Dec. 31, 2007), Smith alleges he had an "oral agreement" in place with Kelly's promoter, Rowe Entertainment, which is named as the defendant. Smith also says he lost out on $785,000) in earnings from the gigs, which was meant to be for a minimum of 25 dates, and is suing for breach of contract, violation of the right of publicity and unfair practices, according to TheSmokingGun.com.

This isn't the first time Kelly has faced legal trouble after a tour - his Best of Both Worlds roadshow with rapper Jay-Z also ended in litigation in 2004. Smith's lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal woes faced by Kelly - he is due to stand trial for child pornography charges in May (08).

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