They may be one of the biggest bands in the world – but even Coldplay has their fair share of legal trouble – or at least they had. The British quartet recently settled a lawsuit with former manager Dave Holmes, who sued the band in 2023.
Dave was the band’s manager for over two decades, working with them since the early days of their career. However, Coldplay dismissed him in 2022, which unfortunately sparked a dramatic and lengthy legal battle. According to reports, Dave sued the band, claiming he was owed £10 million (approximately RM50.8 million) in unpaid commission for Coldplay’s tenth and eleventh albums, which have yet to be released. The commission was allegedly for Holmes’ work, organising recording sessions, clearing samples and liaising with producers.
Coldplay then countersued David for £14 million (approximately RM 71.1 million), claiming that their former manager had overspent on the budget for their “Music of the Spheres” tour and used his position to secure a loan from concert giant Live Nation. The band claimed that other decisions made by Dave on their behalf had negatively affected their tour, which is still ongoing. Dave denied the allegations and slammed Coldplay’s decision to countersue.
However, Coldplay will reportedly pay Dave a hefty seven-figure sum to finally settle the lawsuit with their ex-manager. According to documents filed at London’s High Court, obtained by The Sun, the Grammy-winning band agreed to an undisclosed settlement to prevent private details from being made public in court. A source spoke about the settlement, saying, “Chris and the band are happy they’ve drawn a line in the sand, but it has come at a price. The settlement cost them millions. They just want to move on.”
While it might not be the cheapest move, it could be the smarter one from Coldplay’s end. In the meantime, the quartet recently performed at the Glastonbury music festival and is set to continue their “Music Of The Spheres” tour in Italy next week.
Sources: DailyMail, Yahoo News
