The 24-year-old RnB singer claims the record label which she's been signed to since 2011 when she was just 14 years old is dictating her career decisions past the point allowed under state law.
- Jun 21, 2022
AceShowbiz - H.E.R. wants out of her record deal with MBK Entertainment, a label she's been signed to since 2011 when she was just 14 years old. The "Best Part" singer has filed a lawsuit against her record label.
The 24-year-old RnB singer, whose real name is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, filed the court documents on Thursday, June 16 to the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County. In the suit, according to The Blast, she cited the California Labor Code's Seven-Year rule, meaning that contracts made in the state of California can only last a maximum of seven years, as she's looking for the court to terminate her deal with her record label.
"[H.E.R.]'s seven years have run," the complaint stated. "MBK's attempts to thwart this important and fundamental California public policy should not be condoned." It added that H.E.R. has already delivered notice to MBK "that she will no longer render personal services."
H.E.R. also argued that her deal with MBK Entertainment "significantly limited" her "employment rights" and that she "has not been free to provide her recording services except as permitted or dictated by MBK." She added that the company "has exclusively owned the right to exploit her name and likeness for her recordings."
In addition to getting out of the contract, H.E.R. wants "restitution and disgorgement of funds according to proof; for costs of suit incurred herein; and for such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper."
"[Jeff] Robinson [MBK owner] caused his own lawyers to represent [H.E.R.] in the negotiation of subsequent contracts, including publishing and touring agreements," the lawsuit declared. H.E.R also alleged that "those lawyers took 5% of the deals they negotiated, but did not have a written fee agreement or a conflict waiver signed by [H.E.R.], and said that they performed the services 'as a favor' to their client Robinson who was paid 20% commission for each of those deals."
H.E.R. finally released her debut album, "Back of My Mind", in 2021 through distribution from RCA Records. The album debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and saw features from Lil Baby, Chris Brown, YBN Cordae, Ty Dolla $ign, Yung Bleu and Bryson Tiller.
