Rapper Timbaland is suing a Brisbane showbiz touring company over botching plans for his Australian tour, which led to heavy criticism from local media and fans for the US superstar.
Timbaland, one of the leading pop music producers in the US and whose hit song 'Apologize' held the top spot in Australian charts for eight weeks earlier this year, has slapped Showtime Touring Group with a lawsuit for unspecified damages to "set the record straight" over the last-minute tour cancellation, The Courier Mail has reported.
Timbaland's shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Auckland, New Zealand were due to begin in July.
Fans learned the tour was pushed back to August, and then on August 11 — four days before the first scheduled show in Sydney — the tour was cancelled altogether.
The rap star blamed Showtime Touring Group for breaching obligations of its contract, according to the lawsuit.
"Despite Timbaland's desire to perform for his Australia and New Zealand fans, he was unable to do so," it said.
The company failed to make payments to cover the $1.26 million performance fees or additional security and accommodation costs, the lawsuit said. It also allegedly released misleading promotions for the shows.
Showtime Touring Group released a statement last month blaming a "lack of contact from Timbaland and his management."
"Showtime touring regrets to inform fans that due to lack of contact from Timbaland and his management… Timbaland will not be appearing this month in Australia but he looks forward to performing for his Australian fans in the near future,” the statement said.
Timbaland, whose real name is Timothy Z. Mosley, has collaborated tracks with the Pussycat Dolls, Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake.
He is currently working on his next album Shock Value 2 which will be released next year.
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