98 Degrees Sued For Wrongful Termination By Former Management Company

10/12/2000 6:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(10/12/00, 6 p.m. ET) - 98 Degrees' former management company Top 40 Entertainment filed a $25 million lawsuit against the Ohio-based quartet Wednesday (October 11) in U.S. District Court, claiming that the group wrongfully terminated Top 40 Entertainment in December 1999. The suit claims that the management company had a contract with 98 Degrees that was to extend through October 2001.

98 Degrees' Boston-based attorney John J. Rosenberg explained to LAUNCH his client's position on the matter. "The group 98 Degrees categorically denies the allegations that have been made in the complaint filed against them: that they wrongfully terminated their management agreement with Top 40 Entertainment. The group fully expects to prove that there were more than ample grounds to terminate their relationship with Top 40 and its principal, Mr. Paris D'Jon.

Rosenberg also told LAUNCH that the group intends to file a counterclaim against both Top 40 and D'Jon. "It's the group's intent and expectation to file a counterclaim in the litigation in which they'll assert, among other claims: claims for breach of fiduciary duty and claims for breach of contract against Mr. D'Jon and Top 40. And the group fully expects in the course of these proceedings they'll be able to demonstrate that their success was achieved not because of the efforts of Mr. D'Jon and Top 40, but despite the involvement of Top 40 and Mr. D'Jon in their careers. "

A representative from 98 Degrees' current management company, DAS Communications, was not available for comment as of press time. 98 Degrees' new album, Revelation, is currently Number Five on the Billboard 200 album chart.

-- Jason Gelman, New York

Got news tips, comments, or questions? Send them to newstips@launch.com.