Ricky Martin faces a legal challenge from a former manager. Photo / Getty Images
Ricky Martin faces a legal challenge from a former manager. Photo / Getty Images
Ricky Martin has been hit with a $4.8 million lawsuit from his ex-manager Rebecca Drucker, with documents claiming he owes the sum after she helped resurrect his career and protect him from allegations that would have ended it altogether.
Drucker worked with Martin from 2014 to 2018 and from 2020 to 2022 and is suing the 50-year-old star for unpaid commissions, the New York Post reports.
Legal documents filed earlier this week in Los Angeles Central District Court also mentioned a "potentially career-ending allegation" that Drucker's legal team claim she helped protect him from.
"Rebecca Drucker saved Ricky Martin's career," the 15-page suit alleged.
"There is just one problem: Martin completely and maliciously refused to pay Rebecca the millions of dollars in commissions that he owes her under their management agreement.
"With Rebecca at his side, Martin made millions of dollars and therefore owes Rebecca substantial commissions," Drucker's legal team claimed.
Ricky Martin performs at the 2020 Latin Grammy Awards. Photo / Getty Images
Drucker said she worked with Martin on "recording contracts, touring and sponsorship deals, and other professional endeavours" as well as pitching in on two separate occasions when his "personal and professional life" was "in absolute turmoil".
Drucker also claimed the Latin hitmaker was threatened and intimidated with a "potentially career-ending allegation" in September 2020, the Post reported.
"Rebecca has also fiercely protected Martin," the suit claimed, noting that Drucker "advised him and brought in top litigation counsel to handle the matter", which helped him emerge "unscathed" and proceed with his "professional resurgence."
The suit says that Martin is "primed to reach the heights of fame and fortune" again with a new Apple+ series and claims that his career flourished after he rehired Drucker in 2020.
Ricky Martin and his son attend the Grammy awards in 2019. Photo / Getty Images
Drucker's team also The lawsuit also accuses Martin of having "a toxic work environment" and discussed "a particularly ugly incident in Dubai involving Martin and his representative José Vega" in 2018.
Drucker says she was "forced to deal with a litany of Martin's personal issues, such as problems with the nanny he hired to care for his children, Martin's non-payment of taxes and his substance abuse".
The documents allege there was a "forced" ending to their professional relationship and to keep her silent Martin has subsequently "threatened" her with a nondisclosure agreement, which Drucker has refused to sign.
Ricky Martin is yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
