These Celebrities Had Major Beef With Their Managers — And Ended Up Suing Them

For all these stars, millions of dollars were at stake.

Business can get messy, especially when it comes to fame and fortune. That’s why it’s essential for celebrities to find the right leadership team – but unfortunately it doesn’t always work out.

Find out why these celebs took their managers to court…

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1. Shannen Doherty

In 2015, Shannen Doherty sued her management company — but her issues with her representation went well beyond business matters. In the lawsuit, she accused her managing director, Tanner, Mainstain, Glynn & Johnson, of improperly purchasing her health insurance. In court documents, she claimed that Mainstain should pay her insurance premium to the Screen Actors Guild, but he didn’t pay. When she was finally able to log back in, she discovered she had breast cancer, which doctors say could have been stopped if she had seen a doctor sooner. In 2016, Shannen and the company reached an undisclosed settlement.

2. Nicholas cage

Nicolas Cage once sued his ex-CEO Samuel J. Levin and his company for $20 million for poor financial advice and mismanagement of his money. Samuel, who worked for Nicolas from 2001 to 2008, countered, claiming the actor caused his own financial woes – and warned him his lavish lifestyle needed to be scaled back. In court documents, Samuel claimed that Nicolas was already “heavy in debt” when he first started working for him because he had “already squandered tens of millions of dollars that he made as a movie star.” Both cases were later dismissed.

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3. rihanna

Back in 2012, Rihanna sued Berdon LLP for alleged mismanagement of funds, improper tax filing, and taking “exorbitant” commissions from her concert tour, resulting in significant financial losses. According to court documents, Rihanna claimed the accounting firm took an above-average commission from her and caused huge losses during her 2010 Last Girl on Earth Tour, despite the firm raking in millions for itself. In response, the company claimed that it was Rihanna’s spending habits that were to blame for her financial woes. In the end, Rihanna agreed to settle the lawsuit, although the terms of the deal were not disclosed.

4. Uma Thurman

After Uma Thurman’s former financial adviser Kenneth Starr was jailed for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme, she sued him for $2.485 million. She blamed him for money she lost on risky investments and accused him of fraud. Uma says she was specifically not made aware of the risk involved in investing in security and technology company GlobalOptions and a company called Martini Park. She also claimed Kenneth cheated her out of $485,000 between 2006 and 2008. The two have reportedly settled out of court.

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5. Alyssa Milan

Alyssa Milano once sued her former CEO Kenneth Hellie and his company Hellie, Hoffer & Co. She and her husband filed a lawsuit, suing them for $10 million for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and theft. She also accused her of forging her signature on financial documents and failing to pay overdue bills and taxes. She says she owes millions of dollars and her credit is ruined. Before the case went to court, Alyssa and her manager reached a confidential settlement for an undisclosed amount.

6. Billy Joel

In 1989, Billy Joel filed a $90 million lawsuit against his former manager and brother-in-law, Frank Weber. Billy accused Frank of fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and violations of the Federal Extortion Act. In the lawsuit, Billy is seeking $30 million in compensatory damages and $60 million in punitive damages, as well as repayment of commissions Frank received while he worked for him. The singer was then countered by Frank, but in the end the judge dismissed the former manager’s lawsuit and Billy was awarded around $2 million.

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7. Elton-John

In the early 2000s, Elton John sued his accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers and CEO Andrew Haydon. He claimed they were negligent, mismanaged millions of dollars, and charged him for travel expenses that the company should have covered. Unfortunately, the judge ruled in favor of the accountants and Elton had to pay an estimated $11.5 million in legal fees.

8th. spike

Sting had to take his former financial adviser, Keith Moore, to court. Over the 15 years that Keith worked with the musician, he had set up around 100 bank accounts. Among many allegations, Keith has been accused of illegally transferring a total of $7.8 million from one of Sting’s companies and investing the money in numerous speculative ventures. In total, Keith cheated Sting out of over $9 million. He was eventually sentenced to six years in prison.

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9. Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette sued her former CEO after it was discovered he had embezzled millions of dollars. In court, he was accused of wire fraud and filing a false tax return, eventually admitting to stealing nearly $5 million from Alanis over the course of seven years. He was sentenced to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of assisted parole and outpatient addiction treatment and psychological counseling. He was also forced to pay $8.6 million in compensation.

10 Johnny Depp

In 2017, Johnny Depp sued his management team at The Management Group, alleging that they had spent millions of dollars without his permission. In court, Johnny sought $25 million in damages, including years of legal fees. Management Group filed a countersuit, alleging that Johnny was to blame for his own financial woes and shared documentation of his millions spent on extravagant purchases. Before the case could go to court, the group reached a settlement agreement.