Former Manager Sues Chappelle

A man who claims he took on Dave Chappelle‘s management duties for nine months is suing the comic for a hefty sum he claims was never paid.

In the lawsuit filed December 12th in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Mustafa Abuelhija claims Chappelle hired him to be his personal manager in 2004 and was promised 5 percent of personal appearance fees and 10 percent of all revenue from entertainment deals. But the deal was never put in writing.

The suit claims Abuelhija is owed his cut of an initial payment of $4.5 million from Comedy Central for the third and fourth seasons of the “Dave Chappelle Show.” The deal was reportedly worth $50 million, but Chappelle vanished in May after filming just half of the third season.

The complaint further alleges that Abuelhija had only received $40,000 in commissions when Chappelle fired him in June. It claims Chappelle has earned $2.2 million from personal appearances and about $6 million in entertainment deals.

Abuelhija also said he produced the movie “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” but never received producer credit.

The lawsuit seeks nearly $1 million in damages and an unspecified sum for a percentage of royalties.