Rita Ora has filed a lawsuit claim against Roc Nation in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday. The Brit singer/actress claims that she felt orphaned by the company after a host changes in management. Hit rapper and record producer Jay Z founded Roc Nation in 2008.
As reported by People, Ora is currently taking legal actions against Roc Nation, the record company she signed-in for seven years ago. To this end, Ora – who’s now 25 years old, is asking to be let go from her contract under the California Law which upholds the “seven year rule”.
According to the court papers, Ora claims that her relationship with her current record company “is irrevocably damaged” after seven years. It states that this period became problematic when Roc Nation launched a sports management firm and agency as well as Tidal Music.
After sometime, Roc Nation faced a “revolving door of executives” pushing Ora to feel that she’s no longer part of the company. Ora further states on her claim that the situation got worse when Roc Nation switched from Sony to Universal for distribution two years ago. At this point, Ora found herself “caught in a political quagmire of dysfunction”.
At present, Ora relates that she’s currently self-funding her promotional TV gigs, recording costs and video productions – making her feel ‘orphaned’ by Roc Nation. US Weekly reported.
The California Labor Code aka “the seven year rule”, was first tested in 1944 when actress Olivia de Havilland became unhappy with Warner Bros. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the California Court of Appeal’s ruling favored Havilland – stating that the actress “could not be subject to a contract to perform personal services beyond seven years from the beginning of the deal.” Havilland’s case changed Hollywood which ultimately brought down the old studio system.
Contract issues between artists and their recording companies is no longer surprising news in Hollywood. With a slew of hit songs under her belt, this legal conundrum for Rita Ora can only make her better as a performer and as a person.
