American rapper, Jay-Z has won a lawsuit that claimed he breached an endorsement deal with Parlux Fragrances LLC for a “Gold Jay-Z” cologne brand by failing to properly promote it, allowing him to avoid $67million in requested damages.
The trial took three weeks. During this period, the Manhattan jury heard arguments from Jay-Z’s attorney asking why the star would have put his name on a product that he wanted to fail.
This verdict is coming after nearly six years of litigation over the cologne the rapper had partnered with Parlux to launch in 2013.
In the lawsuit, the company had accused Jay-Z and S. Carter Entreprises of failing to promote the fragrance. They termed this a breach of their business contract that cost the company millions.
It also accused that Jay-Z had refused to appear for events like Good Morning America. And he refused to approve later iterations needed to keep the brand relevant.
However, the star had denied the accusations. He argued that he had fulfilled his obligations under the agreement despite numerous missteps from Parlux that threatened to damage his personal brand. He also countersued, saying he was still owed millions in royalties.
On Tuesday, Jay-Z’s lawyer Alex Spiro, reiterated that the entire case was “misunderstanding”. And that Parlux had actually breached the deal first by how it had conducted itself.