NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Roaring and ready to rock, Bret Michaels arrived at his Syracuse, NY gig two weeks ago, only to find out that his show had been cancelled without his knowledge.
The rocker and "Celebrity Apprentice" winner has just filed a $5 million lawsuit against the concert promoter who allegedly claimed that the show didn't happen because Michaels was going to appear on TV instead.
Around the same time that Michaels was scheduled to perform in Syracuse, he appeared on NBC's "America's Got Talent,” a show that had been pre-recorded.
So on Monday, Michaels sued Michael Banks and Aloha Events for breaching his contract and exposing him to public contempt and ridicule with allegedly defamatory statements about his schedule, reported ABC News.
According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in New York, Michaels was set to perform in Syracuse on August 5. He says that although he was not paid his first 10% deposit nor a second 40% deposit, he arrived to perform as scheduled.
But the rocker showed up only to find no stage, no sound and no lights.
Banks allegedly blamed the postponement on a conflicting TV appearance by Michaels. Fans besieged a local news outlet with the story, and demanded refunds. Reportedly, the New York State Attorney General's office was contacted.
Michaels now seems to think that the concert promoter backed out because of financial issues. He told New York's WSYR-TV, "You don't just go: 'Hey I don't feel like paying anybody.' I think with a guy like Mike, he bit off more than he could chew."
Michaels is now going to court to show he's not to blame. In the lawsuit, he asserts $75,000 in breach of contract damages, and at least $5 million for Banks' allegedly defamatory statements, according to ABC News. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
