Man Files $1M Lawsuit Against Ne-Yo

Ne-Yo's failure to appear a 2008 New Year's Eve concert in Bellevue, Wash. has landed the singer in court and facing a $1 million lawsuit.

The lawsuit is scheduled for trial later this month in Anne Arundel County. It was filed there because that's where Ne-Yo's booking agent, Mike Esterman, is based. The lawsuit seeks $1 million in damages from Esterman and Ne-Yo, whose real name is Shaffer Smith. The lawsuit said there was no excuse for Ne-Yo's failure to appear at the show in Bellevue, Wash. Tickets were sold for $125 to $1,275, and plaintiff Kenyohn Clark claims the botched concert damaged his reputation. Clark said Esterman failed to ensure Ne-Yo's appearance and refused to refund a $95,000 deposit. Esterman said the case is without merit, but a judge denied Ne-Yo's motion to dismiss the suit. Ne-Yo has faced two other lawsuits in the past. In March, another promoter filed a $700,000 suit after the singer kept fans waiting and was a no-show twice at a concert. In 2008, he settled a $700,000 lawsuit over him being dropped from a 2007 tour with R. Kelly.

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