Judge enters $700,000 judgment for Ne-Yo

09/03/2008 6:00 AM, AP
Derrik J. Lang

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ordered a concert promoter to pay R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo $700,000 stemming from A lawsuit filed earlier this year.

Ne-Yo was dropped from R. Kelly's tour last year after two shows. He claimed he was dropped because he had upstaged Kelly, an allegation the singer vehemently denied.

Kelly was not a party to the lawsuit. Ne-Yo (real name: Shaffer Smith) instead sued the tour's promoter, Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment Inc.

Rowe Entertainment said in a statement posted on its Web site after the lawsuit's filing that it couldn't obtain a "final, fully executed contract" from Ne-Yo's agent.

Ne-Yo's CDs "In My Own Words" and "Because of You" both had sales of more than 1 million.