Singer and award-winning actress Andra Day is in the midst of an acrimonious split with manager Jeff Evans, according to a pair of lawsuits filed in Los Angeles this week.
Evans, who has worked with Day for 14 years, filed a complaint on Monday against Day, born Cassandra Monique Batie, accusing her of failing to pay money owed to him related to a 40% cut from her publishing royalties and a 20% commission on other deals. Evans’ suit also alleges that between 2012 and 2017, expenses related to Day were greater than income, generating a loss for him.
The filing accuses Day of not paying at least $850,000 to Evans, including money sourced via publishing advances from Kobalt and payments related to Day’s leading role in the Netflix horror film The Deliverance. Evans claims he has not been paid according to the terms of their various agreements since 2024.
According to its website, Buskin Records only counts Day as a client; Bassline Management’s website does not provide a client list.
On Tuesday, Day filed a countersuit against Evans, describing the 40% cut of her publishing as being “exploitative” and that certain terms around profit-sharing between them ended in June 2023. Evans claims that certain provisions of their agreements continued to be in effect past that time.
In the suit, Day accuses Evans of having been “caught red-handed stealing,” including expropriating a $600,000 recording fund and $1 million related to her music income. “[Evans] siphoned so much money from Day — a quadruple-platinum hitmaker and Golden Globe Best Actress winner — that he left her facing eviction, unable to pay the monthly minimum on her [$300,000-plus] credit card debt and without sufficient funds to tour,” Day’s complaint reads.
Day’s suit calls for an accounting investigation to unravel an alleged “web of deceit” and to determine precisely how much Evans owes Day. A rep for Day did not immediately return Variety‘s request for additional comment.
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