Updates to our Terms of Use

We are updating our Terms of Use. Please carefully review the updated Terms before proceeding to our website.

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Rolled by Phony Agency, Promoter Says

ATLANTA (CN) - A promoter claims in court that a booking company, New Era Talent Agency, took $120,000 by falsely promising it could book R&B superstar Rihanna for two concerts in Mexico.

Empresa Promotora San-Martinez and Jesus Joel Martinez Hernan sued New Era Talent Agency, HAH Enterprises, Johnnie Cabbell and Tayo Peters, in Fulton County Superior Court.

Martinez Hernan, of Mexico, claims he contacted New Era Talent Agency early this year to try to book Rihanna.

Martinez says in the complaint that he spoke with Cabbell at New Era, claimed that he had spoken with "Rihanna's people" and that he could book the two concerts for $1.2 million.

He claims the defendants promised to book the star for concerts on April 27 and 28, in Guadalajara and Mexico City.

Rihanna (Robyn Peters) is not a party to the case, nor is she accused of involvement in it.

Martinez claims the defendants wrote and delivered a "binder letter," stating that he would have to pay them $120,000 to "to show a secure offer."

He claims wired them the money on Feb. 3.

Only to find out, Martinez says, that "As of Feb. 3, 2012 and at all times relevant to this lawsuit, defendants have never had any affiliation with Rihanna whatsoever."

Nonetheless, Martinez says, after the defendants got their hands on the $120,000, they had the brass to tell him "that the concerts, after speaking to Rihanna's people, were not going to cost $5,600,000."

"Defendants knew the statement was false when it was made as no representatives of defendants ever spoke to Rihanna or any representative of Rihanna regarding the potential concerts," Martinez says.

Martinez says he demanded his money back, but defendants refused.

Martinez wants his $120,000 back and $1.2 million in punitive damages for breach of contract and fraud.

He is represented by Bryan Bunson.

According to the complaint New Era is a Georgia LLC based on Peachtree Street in Atlanta; defendant Peters, New Era's registered agent, lives in Fulton County; defendant Cabbell lives in Conley, De Kalb County, Ga.; and defendant HAH operates out of the same street address, but a different suite, than New Era.

Categories / Uncategorized

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Loading...