Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch!
Lawsuit claims comedian welshed on Comedy Central, other deals
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Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch!
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Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch! -
Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch! -
Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch! -
Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch! -
Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch! -
Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch! -
Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch! -
Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch! -
Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch! -
Ex-Manager To Chappelle: Pay Up, Bitch!
DECEMBER 13--Claiming that Dave Chappelle has stiffed him for at least $864,500, the comedian's former personal manager has sued the star, opening a window on the performer's finances and his lucrative Comedy Central deal. In a breach of contract complaint filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Mustafa Abuelhija claims that he and Chappelle last September entered into a management agreement, though the deal 'was never reduced to writing.' In late-June, upon his return from an abrupt and mysterious South African sojourn, the 32-year-old Chappelle fired Abuelhija during a meeting at a San Francisco hotel, according to the lawsuit, an excerpt of which you'll find below. During his 10 months as Chappelle's manager, Abuelhija contends that he played a crucial role in deals that earned the comedian about $10 million (and which potentially could earn Chappelle tens of millions more). Abuelhija, who began working as Chappelle's 'jack-of-all-trades' in 2001, claims that he is owed a piece of the performer's 'Chappelle's Show' deal with Comedy Central as well as a chunk of revenues generated by personal appearances, a future DVD, and the Michel Gondry-directed movie 'Dave Chappelle's Block Party.' When Chappelle re-upped with Comedy Central last year, press reports valued the agreement at $50 million, a deal that was largely torpedoed when the comedian abandoned the show this year after filming only a few episodes of its third season. According to Abuelhija, the cable network gave Chappelle a $4.5 million 'nonrefundable up-front payment' when the deal was signed and agreed to pay him $275,000 per episode and about $25,000 per repeat (the deal covered 13-episode seasons in 2005 and 2006). The contract, Abuelhija noted, also guaranteed the star 50 percent royalties on 'Chappelle's Show' DVD and merchandise sales retroactive to the show's first season. The DVD deal is particularly lucrative since Chappelle's program is among the best-selling television DVDs, with its second season compilation having set a record this June with the sale of 1.2 million units during its first week in stores. (10 pages)
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