DESPITE today’s deadline to reimburse US$38,773.42 for her alleged no-show at a Florida concert, lawyers representing Spice say there will be no refund and their client is owed an apology.
In a release from Spice’s attorneys, Ayisha Robb and Darrell Thompson, yesterday evening, they refuted claims made by Andrew “French” Wright, principal of Chug It, through his lawyer, Queen’s Counsel Peter Champagnie.
According to Spice’s legal team, Chug It organisers breached several aspects of the contract, including her non-requirement to perform before 9:00 pm and the contract stipulation she would perform no later than 11:30 pm, without any mention of an earlier performance time. They also failed to purchase her airline ticket and no transportation was provided on her arrival in Miami.
Meanwhile, Champagnie was tight-lipped about the repercussions if the request for US$38,773.42 was not met.
“That is not something that I would want to ventilate publicly. It is now a legal matter,” the high-profile attorney told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
Wright is also being represented by Neco Pagan.
The ongoing feud stems from an alleged no-show by Spice at a September 5 event in the Sunshine State.
In a statement from Chug It, the entity said a letter of request was sent to Spice, as well as members of her management team and booking agency, Khool International Booking Agency, and that letter details the circumstances regarding her alleged breach of contract.
“[The] terms of the contractual agreement stated that the balance of the performance fees was due to be paid one hour prior to the entertainer’s departure from the hotel to the venue of the performance. Evidence submitted shows that, as per Spice’s demands, these payments were made six hours before the performance time. However, despite this, the entertainer still did not arrive at the venue until 9:25 pm,” the statement read.
The statement also refuted Spice’s alleged claims made about the brand during a September 5 Instagram Live video. The video, which lasted almost 39 minutes, has more than 1,000,000 views.
“Following the breach of contract, Spice and her team took to her Instagram account with over 3.7 million followers to slander the event and proprietor with an array of false claims, accusing the organisers of using a fake credit card to book flights for her team members. She further blurted that: “Chug It is a scam” and that the event stole her fans’ money. Chug It and its international business partners have provided evidence to their respective legal teams proving her statements to be defamatory. Further to this, Spice’s claims also incited patrons to the event to demand a refund of their ticket costs due to her non-performance,” the statement continued.
Champagnie said his client will not be reacting in similar manner.
“I think the appropriate response would be for her legal representatives to present what they have. If it is that they have these receipts they can send them to us, and not ventilate things in the public,” he told the Observer.
Chug It has become a staple on the entertainment calendar since its inception in 2012. That staging, held in Negril, saw approximately 17,000 patrons.
Spice, whose given name is Grace Hamilton, is also a cast member of VH1’s Love And Hip Hop: Atlanta. She recently released her debut album 10.
Her other songs include Cool It Down, So Mi Like It, Back Way, Indicator, and Conjugal Visit featuring Vybz Kartel.