AceShowbiz - Azealia Banks failed to appear at a crucial hearing on Tuesday as a Los Angeles court prepared for a bench trial set for May 5. The trial will determine the damages she owes her former manager, Jeff Kwatinetz, following a ruling that held her liable for stalking, defamation, and civil extortion, among other allegations.

During the hearing, Los Angeles County Judge Brock T. Hammond emphasized that the upcoming trial could proceed even without the participation of Banks. The judge asked Kwatinetz’s legal team to ensure that Banks receives proper notice about the trial. It was also revealed that Kwatinetz and his wife, model and actress Natalie Loren Kwatinetz, intend to give testimony in person.

The legal dispute began in 2020 when Kwatinetz initially sued Banks. He later dismissed that case during what he described as extensive negotiations, but refiled a similar lawsuit in September 2021. The complaint reiterated claims including stalking, defamation, interference with contract, and civil extortion.

Kwatinetz alleged that Banks’ 2014 album, Broke With Expensive Taste, failed financially because she refused to promote it and engaged in what he termed “self-defeating acts.” He further accused her of orchestrating a “terrifying” smear campaign, which included threatening his family, posting photos of herself outside his Los Angeles residence, and inciting her fanbase against him. Additionally, he claimed Banks falsely accused him of operating a Ponzi scheme and implicated him in the death of his former girlfriend, actress Brittany Murphy.

In response, on November 18, 2021, Banks filed a cross-complaint alleging breach of contract, fraud, and negligence. She asserted that Kwatinetz had impersonated a romantic partner to financially exploit her. Subsequently, Kwatinetz amended his complaint to include a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress.

On July 25, 2023, Banks arrived two hours late for her sole deposition. Under oath, she admitted she was aware of the scheduled time but claimed her delay was due to “straight-ironing [her] beautiful wig” in her hotel room, according to court documents. The filing also stated that Banks refused to answer relevant questions, committed perjury, insulted opposing counsel, and abruptly ended the deposition against the advice of her own attorney.

In September 2023, Judge Hammond found Banks in default for “willful evasion” of a subsequent deposition and “willful disobedience of a court order.” This ruling resulted in a legal victory for Kwatinetz, with Banks’ cross-complaint dismissed. On January 13, the court set a bench trial to determine damages, affirming Banks’ liability for stalking, defamation, and civil extortion.

Banks did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday, while attorneys for Kwatinetz declined to comment after the hearing.

In a recent trial brief, Kwatinetz’ legal team criticized Banks for generating more attention for her online controversies than for her music career over the past 20 years. The brief detailed a history of problematic behavior, noting that Banks has been banned from airlines, suspended from the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and removed from multiple music festivals due to homophobic and racist remarks.

The brief also referenced several incidents involving Banks, including arrests for slashing her sister’s neck with a box cutter and biting a security guard’s breast outside a nightclub. It concluded that for the past six years, Banks has engaged in a coordinated and sustained campaign to harass, defame, extort, and stalk her former talent manager.