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 as defendants 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 membership in a 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.
Related: Steven Tyler Departing ‘American Idol’
“LaPolt undercut TSE’s strategy to leverage the Artist’s popularity for a more lucrative deal. She told American Idol’s agent that Kovac “overplayed his hand with his aggressive behavior” and that American Idol could get the Artist for cheap, thereby undermining and negating Kovac’s/the Artist’s position in the negotiations,” says the 19-page suit. The suit also alleges that LaPolt cut Kovac/TSE out of their commission from Tyler. Besides the $8 million, the plaintiffs are seeking interest, punitive and exemplary damages, legal fees and other costs. They have requested a five-day jury trial. The plaintiffs are represented by Louise “Skip” Miller of Los Angeles firm Miller Barondess.
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Tyler never should have been on that show to start with he’s an arrogant obnoxious jerk with his smirks and his leers he represents everything awful about music and television.
The way I see it, it’s their own fault for going with a crappy lawyer. When you’re at the level Tyler is there is no excuse for not going with a legitimate entertainment attorney. All you need to do is look at the firm’s website…
As I always say, if you think a good attorney is expensive, try a bad one…
You guys are missing the point… read the lawsuit! Allegedly Miss LaPolt through various swift moves “took” tyler right under the noses of KOVAC… assisted in creating Tyler’s new management company AND positioned herself on top of the revenue sharing team… this is a fight over present and future revenues.
Talk about sour grapes!!!! The way I see it Steven Tyler is thriled to be gone from AI. And it was a miracle that he was on the show in the first place – who would have thought – and HE seems very happy to be gone. Perhaps the “management” should be put under the spotlight and see how ethical they appear. There is nothing wrong with the ethics of Dina LaPolt – she is a terrific lawyer and works hard for her clients. Am I the only one who thinks it is odd that Steven is not mentioned in the suit? And Skip Miller – talk about lack of…
They’re eating their own folks. Now that is entertainment.