TS Entertainment (hereafter TS) has expressed its position regarding the conflict with rapper Sleepy.
On the 4th, TS's legal representative, Attorney Kim Bo-hyun from law firm AK, stated, "We would like to accurately convey the facts and the court's judgment regarding the recent second trial ruling in the lawsuit filed against our client by Sleepy (real name Kim Sung-won)."
The legal representative first addressed the court's judgment regarding the settlement money controversy, stating, "Sleepy has repeatedly made statements through various media claiming that he has not received settlement money for 10 years, that there was no settlement money at all, and that he experienced hardships due to utility cut-offs. However, the court clearly determined in this ruling that the settlements were accurately made until February 2019, when Sleepy sent a notice of termination of the exclusive contract, and that there was no unpaid settlement money."
Regarding the unauthorized advertising revenue, it was noted, "The court also recognized that Mr. Sleepy obtained monetary benefits amounting to tens of millions of won by conducting SNS advertisements without the agency's consent," adding, "This indicates that Sleepy's actions constitute a serious violation that could entail criminal liability, going beyond a simple contract dispute."
Furthermore, it was mentioned, "The court ruled that our client must pay the withheld settlement money for the first quarter of 2019 due to Sleepy's notice of contract termination, as well as the unpaid portion of the contract money that was paid monthly as a salary after the contract ended. Our client plans to review the wording of the contract and other details to decide whether to appeal regarding the unpaid portion of the contract money that was paid monthly as a salary."
Meanwhile, Sleepy and TS Entertainment have been engaged in legal disputes for over six years, starting from the exclusive contract dispute in 2019.
[Lee Da-gyeom, Star Today Reporter]
