Jay-Z has racked up another legal victory today, avoiding a $67 million penalty in the process. Billboard reports that a Manhattan jury determined that the rapper/mogul did not breach his contract with Parluxe Fragrances for failing to promote the failed “Gold Jay-Z” cologne. The lawsuit, which was brought against Jay by Parlux in 2016, alleged he “never once personally appeared” to promote the cologne, didn’t help develop product-line extensions to help sell the main product, and never returned a $20,000 prototype bottle after rejecting the design.
Jay responded with his own lawsuit, not only denying Parluxe’s accusations but also accusing the brand of failing to provide accounting reports, business plans, promotional resources, or royalty payments. The case, which began in October, prompted Jay-Z to hire a private investigator to refute former Parluxe CEO Donald Loftus’ claims of ill health in a bid to avoid testifying and saw Jay deliver an impatient testimony in his own defense. “I wanted great products and these guys didn’t understand,” Jay reportedly said. “It was so frustrating working with them.”
According to Billboard, the verdict left both sides in the same place as when they started, awarding no money to either. While Parluxe claimed to have lost $18 million on the Gold Jay-Z cologne and sought $67 million in the lawsuit, neither Parluxe nor Jay, whose countersuit demanded around $6 million in unpaid royalties, got their target payment. Justice Andrew Borrok told the attorneys after the verdict, “You failed to prove your case, they failed to prove their case. You’re excused.”
