CLEVELAND, OH (CelebrityAccess) — TempleLive, the owners of the Masonic Temple in Cleveland, have hit their former business partners Live Nation with a lawsuit accusing the promoter-giant of leveraging its market power to interfere with TempleLive’s business after their relationship soured in 2019.
In the lawsuit, filed on March 31st, TempleLive alleges that Live Nation has made false and misleading statements to TempleLive’s current booking agent in a bid to undermine the company’s business reputation.
In the suit, TempleLive claims that Live Nation’s “economically vindictive pattern of conduct” led to lost bookings and business, and industry goodwill, amounting to tortious interference.
TempleLive acquired the Cleveland Masonic Temple in 2017 and refurbished the 2,500-capacity auditorium on the property to serve as a live events venue.
As part of the revival, TempleLive pacted with Live Nation to help bring events to the facility but the relationship quickly soured until the two companies reached a settlement, which has not been made public, to part ways in 2019.
Since then, TempleLive has worked with other promoters to bring shows to the venue until business has largely ground to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, as the live events industry begins to slowly ramp back up to pace, TempleLive says Live Nation is engaged in a whispering campaign to damage its business. According to the suit, TempleLive claims that on two separate occasions when their booking agent approached Live Nation about booking a show at the Temple, they were refused because TempleLive owed Live Nation money.
TempleLive also accused Live Nation of breach of contract after allegedly breaching the 2019 settlement agreement through the alleged false statements of its employees.
Through the suit, TempleLive is seeking injunctive relief consisting of a court order compelling Live Nation to stop its allegedly tortious conduct, as well as up $90 million in punitive damages.
A spokesperson for Live Nation told CelebrityAccess: “As TempleLive is well aware, following the settlement in 2019 where Live Nation released TempleLive from additional financial claims we walked away from our booking partnership and are under no obligation to continue to book events at the venue. We wish them all the best.”
