Maverick City Music co-founder Chandler Moore has quit the group and filed a lawsuit accusing his former manager of diverting millions of dollars in royalties.
The 30 year old announced earlier this week that he had made the "bittersweet" decision to leave the group to work on solo projects.
It has since emerged that he filed a civil complaint at an Atlanta court alleging that former manager Norman Gyamfi misappropriated royalties and committed fraud.
The complaint, obtained by Billboard, accuses Gyamfi of “abusing his power and the trust that Moore bestowed upon him”. The lawsuit also includes Maverick City Music and TRIBL Records as corporate entities.
Moore is seeking financial damages and is asking the court to void his contracts with the group.
“Defendants’ greed, exploitation and misappropriation of Moore’s assets and intellectual property have deprived Plaintiffs of their contractually owed royalties, assets, monies and ownership interests,” the lawsuit says, according to Billboard.
Moore’s attorney, Sam Lipshie of the firm Bradley Arant, said, “We are fully committed to helping Chandler recover what is rightfully his, and assist him in moving forward freely to continue building the even-brighter, impactful career that lies ahead for him.”
Maverick City Music co-founder and chief executive officer Jonathan Jay has denied Moore's claims, calling them “categorically false”.
In a statement on Instagram, he said Maverick City Music had been “forthright, generous, and above reproach” in its dealings with Moore, and that it “acted in good faith”.
Another founding member of Maverick City, Naomi Raine, has also left the group. She said the decision came after “a lot of prayer and consideration".
“This journey has changed my life forever. I don’t regret one single thing — the highs, the lows, the lessons … all of it," she said on Instagram.
"I have learned a lot about God and people and myself. And I will always carry those lessons with me."
