The multi-million dollar suit alleges 'breach of good faith and fair dealing' as the company has been stalling paying out claims from the rapper's canceled tour.
- Aug 2, 2017
AceShowbiz - Kanye West is suing Lloyd's of London for $10 million, alleging that the insurer has not paid him for claims which stem from the cancellation of his "Saint Pablo Tour". According to The Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, August 1 in California federal court, and it falls on various entities, including Cathedral Syndicate. It alleges breach of contract and breach of good faith and fair dealing.
The rapper accuses the insurer of not providing "anything approaching a coherent explanation about why they have not paid, or any indication if they will ever pay or even make a coverage decision, implying that Kanye's use of marijuana may provide them with a basis to deny the claim and retain the hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance premiums paid by Very Good. The stalling is emblematic of a broader modus operandi of the insurers of never-ending post-claim underwriting where the insurers hunt for some contrived excuse not to pay."
The lawsuit claims that Kanye suffered from "disabling condition," referencing to the rapper's "strained, confused and erratic" behavior onstage ahead of the cancellation. The complaint also alleges that the insurer "purposely and maliciously" shared "privileged, private and personal information" about the "Fade" spitter to the media.
Kanye's lawyer Howard King says this is a lesson for other artists. "Performing artists who pay handsomely to insurance companies within the Lloyd's of London marketplace to obtain show tour 'non-appearance or cancellation' insurance should take note of the lesson to be learned from this lawsuit: Lloyd's companies enjoy collecting bounteous premiums; they don't enjoy paying claims, no matter how legitimate."
Kanye West's "Saint Pablo Tour" came to an abrupt end last November when he cut his Sacramento show short after ranting about Beyonce Knowles, Jay-Z, Hillary Clinton and more. Shortly after the cancellation, the rapper was hospitalized due to mental breakdown.
