Guy Sebastian has issued a statement responding to charges of fraud brought against his former manager, Titus Day, who was arrested in Bondi overnight.
New South Wales police issued a statement on Wednesday evening revealing they had arrested the “celebrity manager” for “allegedly defrauding another man of more than $1.15 million over a seven-year period”, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Day was arrested at his Bondi home and was subsequently taken to Waverley Police Station where he was charged with 61 counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception ahead of an appearance at the Waverley Local Court on Thursday.
“As has been reported, I have had an ongoing dispute with Titus for a number of years, and today I am absolutely devastated to learn the nature and detail of these charges,” Sebastian explained.
The singer explained that his income had previously been controlled by Day’s now-liquidated company, 6 Degrees Management, though he began to investigate his finances further when he noticed “some disparities in payments”.
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“I requested important financial information that I was rightfully entitled to, and upon doing so our relationship began deteriorating,” Sebastian explained.
“Over these last years, my integrity and reputation have been questioned, and many untruths have been publicly stated. For me, this has been deeply personal and this period has been the toughest of my life. These charges are a sad vindication of my position.
“No one in my industry deserves this to happen and I hope my case can serve as an example to all artists about the importance of transparency and trust between a manager and an artist.”
While Day is accused of withholding $1.15 million in earnings from the former Australian Idol winner, Day spoke to The Sydney Morning Herald last month where it was claimed that he was owed $800,000 by Sebastian, who had failed to compensate him for services rendered.
“Guy terminated the management contract after 11-and-a-half years without notice and then refused to pay me commissions on any work that I did, even for events that had been completed. That crippled my business,” Day stated.
“All income that is earnt comes to the manager first and then is paid on after commissions are deducted. That’s how management deals work. Any money I am holding from royalties or otherwise is a fraction of what he refused to pay me as commissions for work I did as his manager.”
Day is expected to appear before the Waverley Local Court on Thursday, July 2nd.
