Romeo Santos Sues Manager For Nearly Half Million

Daniel Knighton / Getty Images – Romeo Santos

Romeo Santos, known as the “King of Bachata,” has filed a suit against his former manager alleging that he stole $481,146.

Filed March 26 in New York, the suit names Angelo Medina Mercado and his company Publimagen de Asesores, alleging that Mercado stole money from Santos during his 2015 “Vol. 2 World Tour,” according to El Nuevo Herald.

The suit says that one of Medina’s responsibilities on the tour was to secure profits obtained from venues, keep 10 percent for himself that corresponded to him by right and distribute the rest to Santos and his record label, Sony Music Entertainment. Santos claims Medina did properly distribute profits from 11 concerts that took place June 10 through July 12 in North America.

“Although the defendants received the fees earned by Santos in connection with the June and July 2015 concerts, in violation of the parties’ agreement, the defendants have not forwarded any payment to Sony as Santos indicated and ordered,” the suit says.

All 11 shows were reported to Pollstar’s Box Office and collectively sold 128,630 tickets and grossed more than $10.8 million. Individual highlights include a sold-out set at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., which moved 13,327 tickets and grossed more than $1 million; and two nights at Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena, which sold 24,462 tickets and grossed more than $2.1 million.

The entire tour was big business as Santos sold out arenas in the United States and abroad, including shows at Houston’s Toyota Center (10,803 tickets, $1 million grossed), The Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., (16,090 tickets, $1.4 million grossed) and at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico (15,354 tickets, 554,753 grossed).  

Medina, a Puerto Rico native, has also managed Ricky Martin, Maná and Draco Rosa.

This is not the first time Medina has found himself embroiled in a legal battle with one his former clients, though.

In 2004 Ricky Martin Sued Medina to cover $2.5 million that was allegedly made form unearned commission, breach of contract and fiduciary duties. Medina responded with a counter suit that sought $63.5 million from Martin claiming breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

Those suits ended with a private settlement.

Maná later split with Medina in 2015, though they remain on good terms, according to The Herald.