Sugarland Settles Lawsuit

Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush have reportedly settled a lawsuit filed in 2008 by former group member Kristen Hall claiming she’s owed more than $14 million in band profits.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten signed a court order Nov. 12 saying the parties had reached an agreement but they have until Dec. 13 to finalize it. The case was scheduled to go to trial Nov. 15.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, claimed Hall, who founded the group in 2002, acted as manager, agent and marketing rep during Sugarland’s early years and used her personal credit cards to cover the band’s expenses. The suit further claimed Hall “collaborated generously” on Sugarland’s debut album, which has sold millions of copies, and is entitled to one-third of the band’s profits even though she quit.

Nettles and Bush, this year’s Country Music Association vocal duo of the year, countered that Hall didn’t have a profit-sharing agreement in place when she quit and the duo was left with more than $100,000 in debts to pay after Hall’s departure.