Movies

Why Guy Sebastian discussed his tour with Taylor Swift in court as his former manager faces trial

BBG News

Guy Sebastian shared with the court his immense excitement about being the opening act for the globally acclaimed pop sensation Taylor Swift during her Australian Red Tour.

Initially, I envisioned a professional triumph; however, it morphed into a complicated legal dispute with my ex-manager instead.

42-year-old winner of Australian Idol testified in NSW District Court on Wednesday, sharing his feelings of honor when former manager Titus Day told him in 2013 that he had successfully arranged for him to open for Taylor Swift at her stadium shows across Australia.

According to Newswire, Mr. Sebastian stated that he discovered he would be assisting Taylor Swift, which undeniably is a significant opportunity – after all, Taylor is a renowned artist, and landing the tour was a major achievement for me.

‘I was really honoured.’

To keep up-to-date with celebrity scandals, wardrobe malfunctions on the red carpet, must-see images, and trending videos, consider signing up for our showbiz newsletter by DailyMail.

In contrast to his own tours, which he himself acknowledged weren’t profitable financially because he covered all the costs, the performances by Swift were expected to be financially rewarding, as they came with a fixed payment guarantee.

‘This was an opportunity where it was a guaranteed sum I was being paid,’ he explained.

Eager to deliver an exceptional show, Sebastian brought a close friend along to perform with him and invested substantially to gather a top-notch band.

He put his utmost effort into making the band sound incredible, aiming for an exceptional outcome.

Sebastian mentioned that out of the estimated $500,000 he was supposed to earn from the tour, roughly $180,000 had been spent on expenses, which included his personally selected band members.

Yet, the situation took a turn for the worse as it emerged that part of the funds, supposedly, had not been given to Sebastian at all.

6 Degrees Management received a transfer of $494,000 from a booking agent, as testified in court, into their company account.

According to the Crown’s argument, following his receipt of a $59,000 commission, it was expected of Day to forward $435,000 to Sebastian.

Contrarily, it’s asserted that the total amount initially attributed to the singer was $434,500, but it’s reportedly unaccounted for $187,000 of this sum.

Sebastian stated that he had first assumed the remaining funds would be transferred soon afterward.

He stated that within a period of either 7 or 14 days, it was explicitly communicated to us when the $247,000 transfer was made. This was part of a process for reconciling accounts at the end of the entire tour, and we were informed that this reconciliation would be completed very shortly.

He mentioned that his bookkeepers continually asked for those specific details to finish his tax return, yet the comprehensive summary was never provided.

Despite the missing money, Sebastian admitted he didn’t immediately push for answers.

‘In the years following, I assumed it was taken care of,’ he told the court.

Last week, Thomas Woods, a lawyer representing the day’s case, admitted that his client indeed didn’t transfer funds to Sebastian on certain instances. However, he emphasized that the central question from a legal standpoint remains whether such actions amounted to criminal activity.

In many instances, it won’t be about whether my client didn’t send money to Sebastian; instead, the focus will be on whether his decision not to do so was an act of criminal nature, as Woods explained.

In 2006, Sebastian joined the management firm, 6 Degrees, owned by Mr. Day – a move he made three years following his victory on Australian Idol. Earlier in their careers, they had collaborated at 22 Management.

Initially, things were good between them, but disagreements about statements and money payments arose, causing Sebastian to decide to end his association with Day in 2017.

The singer initiated a lawsuit at the Federal Court against his former manager the year after. A counterclaim was subsequently filed by him.

Read More

2025-06-04 14:35

Previous post All Character Grief Passives & Stat Bonuses In Elden Ring Nightreign
Next post Nikke x Stellar Blade Collab Livestream