(LOS ANGELES) - Singer Toni Braxton filed for Chapter 7 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, listing liabilities of more than $1 million. |

Braxton's litigation attorney Stanton L. Stein says the filing will bring to a halt legal proceedings in the crossover star's contract dispute with Arista and LaFace Records. In December, Braxton sued the labels, claiming her contract was invalid under a California statute limiting personal service agreements to seven years; Stein says Arista countersued Braxton later that month. An Arista spokesman could not be reached for comment.