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Any real love between superstar singer Mary J. Blige and her longtime friend and stylist Misa Hylton appears lost now that the two are facing off in an explosive legal battle over the management and music of Harlem rapper Vado.
In new court filings obtained by Rolling Stone, Blige is blasting the various contract interference claims Hylton leveled against her in an 18-page complaint filed last April. Blige calls the allegations “blatantly frivolous” and even “stunning,” and she’s asking a judge to dismiss Hylton’s lawsuit outright. She also wants the judge to impose financial sanctions against Hylton and her lawyer for pursuing the “meritless” litigation.
Hylton, who was dating Sean Combs in 1992, when she began working with the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul on promotion of Blige’s hit album What’s the 411?, alleges in her lawsuit that Blige tried to “coerce” Vado into terminating his talent and management contract with Hylton. According to Hylton, Blige wanted Vado to “jump ship” to her own company, Beautiful Life Productions, where he also had a recording agreement. Hylton alleges Blige and her representatives “intentionally excluded” her from meetings with Vado that were held in “intimate and inappropriate” settings such as “late night yacht outings” and hotel rooms. She claims the defendants “purposefully sabotaged” her relationship with the rapper.
In their new filings, Blige and her lawyers say Hylton has no case. They allege Hylton’s company, M.I.S.A. Management, isn’t a valid corporation, and they say Hylton isn’t a licensed talent agent, as required by law. They say Hylton, who shares a son with Combs, filed her lawsuit with the “sole purpose of harassing and causing malicious injury to [Blige] based on Hylton’s personal animus towards Ms. Blige.”
Vado, named in the lawsuit as Teeyon Winfree, also is suing Blige for allegedly refusing to release his music. He claims the Grammy winner and her company owe him at least $5 million for breach of contract and $5 million for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Shortly after Hylton and Winfree sued, Blige’s lawyers, including high-profile music industry litigator Lisa Moore, sent a letter to the plaintiffs demanding “immediate withdrawal” of the claims. The lawyers said their “simple review” of the New York State Department of State database quickly determined that Hylton’s company is not a “duly organized New York Corporation.” For that reason, “[M.I.S.A. Management] will not be able to prove that it has a valid agreement sufficient to satisfy the first element of tortious interference with contract claim, and you and plaintiffs were aware, or should have been aware, of this before filing this baseless claim,” they wrote.
The letter also said Winfree’s own actions caused delay in the release of his music. They alleged the artist failed to deliver marketable music because “none of the consents and clearances were delivered despite multiple requests.” They further claimed Hylton already has been paid more than she was owed because she allegedly took a commission on more than $300,000 paid to Winfree that was recoupable under his recording contract. The letter further included a text messaged allegedly sent by Winfree in which he purportedly mentioned he was considering “firing” Hylton of his own accord.
Hylton, Winfree, and their lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. Blige and her lawyers asked for an Aug. 18 hearing on the dismissal motion.
Winfree, who formed the hip-hop duo U.N. with fellow artist Cam’ron in 2009, previously posted some of his musical collaborations with Blige on his Instagram.
