Former Members of Group Destiny's Child Retain Houston Attorney to File Suit Against the Group.Entertainment Editors/Legal Writers HOUSTON--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--March 8, 2002 Former Destiny's Child Members Fight Back LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, expelled members from the R&B group Destiny's Child, have filed suit in a Texas Federal District Court against Beyonce Knowles, Kelendria Rowland, Michelle Williams, and Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment is a major global record label controlled by the Sony Corporation. In 1988, Sony Corporation acquired CBS Records, Inc. for $2 billion. CBS Inc., now CBS Corporation, retained the rights to the CBS name, and Sony renamed the label Inc., for violation of the settlement agreement reached in the December 2000 suit over LeToya and LaTavia's wrongful expulsion from the group. LeToya and LaTavia first filed suit after their expulsion from the group, which was precipitated by their disaffirmance DISAFFIRMANCE. The act by which a person who has entered into a voidable contract; as, for example, an infant, does disagree to such contract, and declares he will not abide by it. 2. Disaffirmance is express or implied. of their management agreement with Beyonce's father, Mr. Matthew Knowles. This suit, which was ultimately settled, contained a "non disparagement In old English Law, an injury resulting from the comparison of a person or thing with an individual or thing of inferior quality; to discredit oneself by marriage below one's class. " clause prohibiting any disparaging dis·par·age tr.v. dis·par·aged, dis·par·ag·ing, dis·par·ag·es 1. To speak of in a slighting or disrespectful way; belittle. See Synonyms at decry. 2. To reduce in esteem or rank. comments or statements being made by either party about the other. It also included a "confidentiality" clause prohibiting any comment on the settlement or the claims made by plaintiffs LeToya and LaTavia. The former Destiny's Child members allege breach of the original settlement agreement based on numerous actions by the Defendants, which include the release of the song "Survivor," which contains disparaging statements about the former members, a lawsuit filed by Beyonce and Kelley against Ms. Luckett and Ms. Roberson in May 2001, and comments in interviews which violate confidentiality. Although they still have litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. pending against Matthew Knowles, the duo recently retained Attorney Warren M. Fitzgerald, Jr. of Houston, Texas, as lead counsel for all causes of action. Attorney Fitzgerald recently settled major litigation against America West Airline on behalf of a quadriplegic quadriplegic /quad·ri·ple·gic/ (-ple´jik) 1. of, pertaining to, or characterized by quadriplegia. 2. an individual with quadriplegia. passenger and a wrongful death The taking of the life of an individual resulting from the willful or negligent act of another person or persons. If a person is killed because of the wrongful conduct of a person or persons, the decedent's heirs and other beneficiaries may file a wrongful death action case on behalf of the family of a well-known local political icon. After assuming control of Ms. Luckett and Ms. Roberson's litigation, Attorney Fitzgerald promptly moved to assert their rights of which included prosecution of the pending case against Mathew Knowles and then filing the new claim in Federal Court. Attorney Fitzgerald is confident of a successful resolution once all of the facts in the case are brought out in a court of law. LeToya and LaTavia, now living in Atlanta, Ga., have formed a new group and are currently recording new material in an effort to rebuild their careers. |
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