April 29, (THEWILL) – Kanye West, aka Ye, has countersued his former business manager, who alleged the rapper failed to pay him a $300,000-per-month retainer fee.
According to Mail Online, Ye claimed he signed the contract during his sleep-deprived meltdown.
The entrepreneur cum rapper argued that he is not liable for paying the 18-month worth of fees totalling $5.4 million to Thomas St. John, head of the TSJ international accounting firm because he was sleep-deprived when he signed a contract without the help of a lawyer in March 2022.
West’s former business manager only worked with the rapper for three months despite the clause in the signed contract that required him to be paid for 18 months until November 2023.
The Mail Online added that St. John stated in a $4.5 million lawsuit filed in October that when he confronted West about the unpaid retainer fee, the rapper grew heated and aggressive and began cursing at him.
In the countersuit, Ye stated that he was sleep-deprived, stressed, anxious, and under duress when he hired St. John amid his divorce with reality star, Kim Kardashian.
He prayed the judge to axe the contract and required St. John to pay up the $900,000 paycheque he received.
He, however, missed in the overlooked contract that he agreed to pay his businessman ex-manager for a year and a half without the option of termination.
St. John’s lawsuit in October read: “He screamed at Mr St. John and made clear he no longer wanted to work with (St. John.)
“When confronted by the 18-month commitment that had just been made, Mr West stated words to the effect of ‘The 18-month term was bullshit’ and ‘You’re insane for even thinking I would stick to it.”’
The court documents obtained by Mail Online noted that St. John secured an 18-month contract with West as assurance that Defendants would not simply walk away from the business relationship.
