Samantha Jade, SME, Fremantle and Guy Sebastian sued by American label for breach of contract

When we chatted to Samantha Jade a few months back, she was disarmingly honest when detailing the painful process of attempting to make it in America, and having her album endlessly shelved and delayed.

It was “such a soul-destroying process” that she quit the business for a while and worked in her father’s mining warehouse, before auditioning for X Factor. Unfortunately for Jade, the pain from this process seems set to continue for a while longer, with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting US label Camp West Records is suing Samantha Jade, Fremantle Media, Guy Sebastian, Sony Music Australia and Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment.

The confusing lawsuit stems from Jade’s involvement with the X-Factor television show, which she won while still being under contract to Camp West.

Rather than being a simple breach of contract, the lawsuit is hinged on a clause in X-Factor contracts that doesn’t allow friends of the judging panel to enter. Camp West are claiming that Guy Sebastian and Jade were friends prior to her entering the talent competition, and that Fremantle, Syco and Sony Music were all aware of both the connection, and that she was under contract with Camp West.

The label claims to have spend eight years, and $2 million on her career, and are asking for 20% of her earnings. The case has been filed at California’s Central District Court.