Guy reveals ‘big shift' with ex-manager
Guy Sebastian has revealed new details in the relationship breakdown between he and his former manager, claiming invoices were not being sent and there was a 'really big shift' the year before the pop star left the company.
Titus Emanuel Day is standing trial for allegedly embezzling $640,000 of Sebastian's royalties and performance fees.
This includes the alleged failure to remit $187,000 to Sebastian for performance fees as a support act for Taylor Swift on her 2013 Red tour of Australia.
It's alleged that Sebastian was also not paid for corporate gigs, performances at the Sydney Opera House, a Big Bash game and Dreamworld and for singing at weddings in Italy and Sydney. Guy Sebastian's former manager Titus Day is on trial for allegedly embezzling money from the pop star. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia
Mr Day has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of embezzlement as a clerk or servant and one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception.
He has denied doing anything fraudulent or dishonest.
Sebastian told the court on Thursday that he had sent several emails to Mr Day around 2016, setting out concerns with their relationship at the time.
Mr Day was managing Sebastian under his company 6 Degrees at the time.
The Battle Scars singer told the NSW District Court there was a 'really big shift' in the pair's relationship around that time, in particular claiming documents, statements and invoices 'were not being sent anymore'.
'That side of it and then some cultural issues that were happening as well and just a general shift in the service I was being provided,' Sebastian told the court.
'I understand (6 Degrees) were getting busier as a company and that the list of clients had grown … that was starting to have some real ramifications on my business and personally as well.
'I was trying really hard to remedy these issues.'
Sebastian was asked about his deal with Dreamworld earlier on Thursday in which he had several duties over a period of a year or two with the theme park.
This included a performance and recording a theme song, with the total deal worth about $96,000. Guy Sebastian is giving evidence in the trial. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia
Mr Day had negotiated the contract for him, and Sebastian agreed that his former manager was entitled to a commission.
However, Sebastian claimed that he never received payment for his portion from the work with Dreamworld.
The court was told Mr Day told the pop star 'I'm legally entitled to hold the Dreamworld money', claiming there were commissions owed by Sebastian to 6 Degrees.
'I do recall that, yes,' Sebastian told the court.
'And you disagreed with that treatment?' Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC asked him.
'My position was to be in line with our agreement, which I was not denying any commission, so there's no reason to hold money,' Sebastian said.
'I was prepared to stick to the terms to what we had always operated on …(I) saw no need to hold money, nor did I think it was appropriate to do so.'
Sebastian later disagreed with Mr Day's barrister Thomas Woods, who suggested Mr Day had never stolen or embezzled his money.
Mr Woods last week told the court that there would be 'no dispute' that on some occasions his client should have transferred money onto Sebastian 'but did not'. He told the court how his relationship with Mr Day soured. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia
'For many of the charges, the real question is not going to be whether my client failed to transfer the money to Sebastian but whether his failure to do that was criminal,' Mr Woods said.
Sebastian signed with Mr Day at his management company 6 Degrees three years after he won Australian Idol, having previously worked with him at Mr Day's former agency, 22 Management.
Despite initially being happy with the arrangement, Sebastian and his team were often chasing statements and clarification on payments before he told Mr Day he was leaving his management in 2017, the court was previously told.
Sebastian launched Federal Court proceedings against Mr Day the following year. He in turn filed a counterclaim.
The trial continues.
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