Jay-Z has found himself in the middle of another lawsuit, and this time it’s over his marijuana brand Monogram. According to reports, a lawsuit was filed on February 16th by Cathi Clay, the former vice president of TPCO Holding, the parent company of Jay-Z’s marijuana brand.
The lawsuit claims that Monogram is guilty of illegally shipping cannabis products across state lines. Moreover, it also accuses TPCO Holding of “gender discrimination and filing erroneous financial reports.”
Court documents reveal that TPCO executives were allegedly “aggressive, demeaning, and publicly questioned Ms. Clay’s abilities.”
The case specifically mentions the parent company’s Chief Financial Officer, Mike Batesole, of making “inappropriate comments about women, hiring ‘housewives’ to perform accounts payable, people of color and skill sets of employees.”
Clay says she was given a chastised after giving a warning to TPCO’s executives after noticing financial reports were inaccurate in 2021 and 2022. She ultimately resigned after filing a whistle-blower report in August.
So far, Jay-Z hasn’t publicly responded to the lawsuit. But TPCO released a statement saying the allegations in the case are “false.”
“ The company does not comment on active litigation and plans to defend itself strongly against the false accusations,” a spokesperson for the company added.
This isn’t the only lawsuit Jay-Z has faced this year. In February, he settled a case against Bacardi over his stake in the D’USSE Cognac brand. The rapper partnered with Bacardi to launch D’USSE in 2012, only to try and sell his stake earlier this year.
However, Jay-Z accused Bacardi of trying to low-ball him by offering only $500 million for his share. Bacardi eventually agreed to buy his 50% stake for $750 million. Now, Bacardi owns a 75% stake in the company, while Jay-Z reportedly maintains a “significant ownerships stake.”
Last year, Jay-Z came out on the winning side of another lawsuit when a judge determined Parlux Fragrances had to pay him $4.5 million in royalties. Parlux originally sued him in 2016 for $16 million after alleging that he failed to meet his contractual duties.
In response, Jay-Z filed a countersuit for $2.7 million, arguing that the fragrance company owed him royalties. In the end, Jay-Z won nearly double what he was seeking, while Parlux Fragrances walked away with an empty hand.
Sources: MJ Biz Daily, Benzinga,
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEq6CcoJWowW%2BvzqZmq6GTnXqxu9aeqZ%2BtnGS3osWMs6pmpZGntqvBwKeYZpqilrulecisZJudmaO0br%2FUnptmnp%2Bneqq4y56emqRdlrC1tdWiq6Kdo2Q%3D