M.I.A. Sues Kid Cudi for $2.8 Million Over Tour Removal, Citing Censorship and Contract Breach
M.I.A. is suing Kid Cudi for $2.8 million, alleging breach of contract and censorship after being removed from his Rebel Rangers Tour due to 'offensive remarks.' The lawsuit claims Kid Cudi knew her political views beforehand and that the...
M.I.A. has filed a lawsuit against Kid Cudi, seeking over $2.8 million in damages. The suit alleges that Kid Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, wrongfully removed her from his Rebel Rangers Tour following controversial statements she made during her opening performances.
The complaint, lodged in the United States Court District of California Western Division on May 29 by M.I.A. (Mathangi Arulpragasam), asserts that Kid Cudi was aware of her political stances and public persona before inviting her to join the Live Nation-produced tour.
According to the lawsuit, "M.I.A. was terminated to generate publicity for the Tour, which has struggled with ticket sales. She was contractually allowed to say whatever she wanted on stage. M.I.A. now holds Kid Cudi accountable for his bad faith destruction of her contractual rights, business opportunities, and reputation."
Earlier this month, Kid Cudi announced M.I.A.'s removal from the tour, citing her comments at Dallas’ Dos Equis Pavilion. She allegedly told the crowd, "I’ve been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter," and reportedly added that she wouldn’t perform her song “Illegal” because “there’s probably one in the crowd.” The complaint states M.I.A. said she was canceled for “being a Republican voting American.”
According to Cudi, M.I.A.’s remarks sparked criticism from attendees, leading to her dismissal. M.I.A. later clarified on social media that she cannot vote in the U.S., noting that some members of the Latin community also supported Trump, asking, “So are you going to hate them all?”
So are you going to hate them all ? https://t.co/ysKFnBIlG8 — M.I.A. (@MIAuniverse) May 23, 2012
Kid Cudi explained, “After the last couple shows, I’ve been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants. This, to me, is very disappointing and I wont have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase. Thank you for understanding. Rager.”
The lawsuit contends that Cudi’s statement was “riddled with falsehoods” and that removing her from the tour constituted “intentional interference with contractual relations,” leading Live Nation to breach her contract. “Kid Cudi’s conduct caused Live Nation to breach the Agreement,” the complaint reads. “He directed Live Nation to terminate M.I.A. from the Tour. He caused Live Nation to fail to pay Plaintiffs the $2,805,000 Guarantee. He caused Live Nation to breach the Agreement’s provision guaranteeing the Company full creative control of M.I.A.’s performance.” It also claims M.I.A. “lost merchandise sales and VIP package sales from the remainder of the tour.”
A representative for Kid Cudi has not yet responded to requests for comment.
In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, a representative for M.I.A. stated, “KiD CuDi’s attempts to silence freedom of artistic expression and speech on his ‘Rebel Rager’s Tour’ cannot go unchallenged. Censorship is something M.I.A has fought against her whole career. For decades, M.I.A. has used her platform to speak on human rights and other complex global issues as a refugee who became a global star."
The statement continued, “It is well known to KiD CuDi and the world that she has never been shy about communicating her heartfelt views through her music and her dialogue with fans. KiD CuDi’s claimed shock over her comments he now labels as ‘offensive’ and his abrupt and unjustified termination of her performance agreement is a desperate attempt to sell tickets for his tour that was drastically underselling. As a result, his false allegations have fueled a misguided, hive-minded pile-on based on a deliberate misrepresentation of her words.”
Besides the $2.8 million guarantee, the lawsuit seeks compensatory damages exceeding $75,000, attorney fees, and any additional relief the court deems appropriate.
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