The value of a Mariah Carey performance might have come into question in the past two weeks or so, but the “Make It Happen” singer says in a new lawsuit that she’s owed money by a “deceitful promoter” for concerts that she didn’t perform in Argentina and Chile.
In a suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, Mirage Entertainment claims that Carey was forced to cancel two concerts in Argentina and Chile because promoter FEG Entretenimientos wasn’t holding up its part of the bargain — and the agreement was that Carey would be paid in full if she canceled.
“In the music industry everyone knows the familiar story of the deceitful promoter that promises to pay and fails to deliver,” the suit reads, adding that not “one payment” was made by FEG was “made as required; all the payments were late, insufficient, or totally unpaid.”
“Consistent with their untruthful and unethical practices,” the suit claims, FEG and the other defendants “each breached their contract on three separate occasions,” but “had the audacity to accuse Ms. Carey of failing to perform, while knowing all too well that their failure to make one payment as required is the reason for the cancellations.”
According to the suit, Mirage made agreements with FEG for the concerts in June, with the shows to take place in October.
Between the two time periods, the lawsuit claims, things went seriously south — and not in the way that Carey’s fans in the region hoped they would. Payments were made late and only partially, the suit claims, until Carey was forced to cancel the performances in late October because the defendants had failed to pay the “long overdue” balance just days before the scheduled performances.
“Defendants put Ms. Carey in the unenviable position of having to cancel the shows and incur the reputational damage of such cancellation,” the lawsuit reads.
According to the lawsuit, Carey has the right to her full guarantee for the shows, regardless of the cancellation.
“Defendants have breached the contracts by failing to compensate Plaintiff the full guaranteed fees of as required under the contracts, resulting in damages in excess of $1 million,” the suit reads.
The breach of contract lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.