Ricky Martin is at the center of a dispute over alleged unpaid commissions. He’s being sued by his former talent manager, who filed documents with Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday.
Rebecca Drucker served as Martin’s manager from 2014-2018 and again from May 2020 to April 2022. She says he owes her money, per the management agreement they reached together.
In the 15-page lawsuit filed yesterday, she’s asking for $3million in unpaid commission.
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She claims she “saved Ricky Martin’s career” and “protected” him from “the consequences of his reckless indiscretions.”
“Rebecca did so not only because she was his manager, but also because she thought that Martin was her dear friend,” the suit, filed by attorneys Joshua M. Rosenberg and Armound Ghoorchian at Venable LLP, says.
Drucker says she was subjected to “a toxic work environment” and also alluded to “a particularly ugly incident in Dubai” involving Martin and one of his representatives in 2018.
She says this led to her resigning from her role. However, she says she was persuaded by Martin to return in 2020. However, when she did so, she claims his life was in “disarray.”
“Although Martin’s career flourished since he re-hired Rebecca as his manager in May 2020, she was forced to deal with a litany of Martin’s personal issues, such as problems with the nanny he hired to care for his children, Martin’s nonpayment of taxes, and his substance abuse, among other issues,” the suit alleges.
She goes on to say that in September 2020, Martin received a letter from a Los Angeles litigation attorney about a legal complaint.
“After reading the legal letter, Martin collapsed. He expressed his extreme fear to Rebecca that if this threat were carried out, the consequences to Martin would be catastrophic,” the suit alleges.
Drucker says she found a top attorney who was able to help Martin fight the “devastating claims.” She says this is an example of how she “saved Martin’s career”. Now she wants what she believes is appropriate compensation.
“With Rebecca at his side, Martin made millions of dollars and therefore owes Rebecca substantial commissions,” says the suit.
“Now set to play a lead role in the highly-anticipated Apple TV+ series ‘Mr. and Mrs. American Pie,’ Martin is once again primed to reach the heights of fame and Fortune,” says the legal document, claiming more credit needs to be paid to Drucker.
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She also says that the singer has “now threatened” her to remain silent with a nondisclosure agreement. She has refused to sign this.
“Rebecca looks forward to having her day in court and prosecuting her claims in front of a jury,” Rosenberg said after Wednesday’s filing.
Deadline notes that “Unpaid commission dust-ups between reps and their former clients are a virtual sub-genre in the LASC docket,” but that Drucker’s insistence that she will not be silenced suggests this case might not go away quietly.
As yet, Ricky Martin has not issued any response to the lawsuit. Queerty has reached out to his representatives and will update this story if we hear anything.
fredk3
so clearly a desperate $ grab by an unemployed loser.
Essie
Maybe Ricky should have negotiated and paid her a million or so because this sounds ugly. Even if she’s in the wrong, a lot of stuff can come out at trial (or before trial) that could hurt his new-found success. Studio bosses are a bit nervous these days about secrets about their talent.
DuMaurier
I can’t judge the merits of her claim that Martin owes her pay for her services, but what is very clear is she’s using the filing to pressure him into paying up or see a lot of personal details of his private life get spilled in open court. I find that scuzzy whether she’s entitled to the money or not.
cuteguy
Martin’s “indiscretions”? Mmhmmmm. Everyone knows he shouldn’t be married. He already came out. What will he use now to deflect?
linedrive
I didn’t know he shouldn’t be married. What a strange thing to say….
cuteguy
What’s the point of being married if you’re going to be having indiscretions. Stay single. Well at least have some sense of morals or self respect. Then again that’s prob foreign to you that’s why you thought it was a “strange thing to say”.
linedrive
Dude, you don’t know Ricky Martin and you certainly don’t know me.
Salacious1
Nothing more than a protection racket.
PoetDaddy
And the moral of this story is don’t ever hire Rebecca Drucker. She’s a snake. She did her job and now she’s extorting her client. If anyone’s career is over, it’s hers. P.S. All celebrities should make their reps sign non-disclosure agreements. My dog walker has to sign them for his celebrity clients.
bjm123
How is she a snake if she assisted him? This makes no sense at all. She did her job and didn’t get paid. Now it’s time for him to pay her.
cuteguy
His career was dead and she saved it. She should be compensated. Plain and simple. He will soon be an unknown again and he will require her services instead of whining on why he’s not getting scripts sent to him. He’s burning bridges and then he wonders why no one will hire him
LumpyPillows
Looks shady to me.
bjm123
I believe her. Unlike Mariah Carey’s form manager, she remained hidden from view and he has been known to act reckless at times and this can cause money issues. I totally believed that he tried to make her sign a NDA but this was after she provided services.
ricdardc1
The Shade of it all. Has Miss Thing learned nothing at all, from George Michael’s Troubles… where’s the husband in all this or it that a season end cliffhanger. Gurl sho Living La Vida Coca !!!