A judge ruled Tuesday that a $100 million lawsuit against singer/actress Beyoncé Knowles-Carter brought by a maker of videogames can proceed to trial.
Justice Charles Ramos rejected Beyoncé’s request to have the lawsuit, filed by Gate Five LLC., thrown out.
Without explaining, the justice ruled Gate Five can proceed with civil action charging that Beyoncé “double crossed” the company when she abandoned their project to star in a dance videogame.
In the lawsuit, Gate Five accuses Beyoncé of a “bad faith breach of contract so callous that, on what appeared to be a whim, she destroyed Gate Five’s business and drove 70 people into unemployment, the week before Christmas [2010].”
The lawsuit claims she bailed at the last minute on the project for a videogame called “Starpower: Beyoncé” after making an “extortionate demand” for more money.
Gate Five claims the company financing the game backed out of the deal, because of Beyoncé’s last-minute maneuvers.
Beyoncé’s lawyers countered that she had every right to walk because Gate Five had not secured adequate financing for the project by a mid-November 2010 deadline.
The case will go to trial if both sides do not negotiate a settlement.
