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Shakira's Ex-Boyfriend Sues Her for $100 Million

Antonio de la Rúa claims he was entitled to profits as singer's business partner

December 1, 2012 3:15 PM ET
Singer, Shakira, ex-boyfriend, Antonio de la Rua, lawsuit, manager, business partner
Singer Shakira and ex-boyfriend Antonio de la Rua at "An Evening of Love", benefitting The Bare Feet Foundation on November 6th, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ethan Miller/Getty

Shakira's former boyfriend, Antonio de la Rúa, is suing the singer for what he claims to be "his share of past and future partnership profits," Billboard reports. De la Rúa is seeking at least $100 million in damages for alleged breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.

The suit was filed on November 2oth in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, about a month after Shakira filed a writ of summons against de la Rúa seeking damages for misappropriation of funds. In the suit, de la Rúa claims that he had a standing arrangement with Shakira to act as her business manager, although there was reportedly no written agreement for the position. 

Hips Don't Lie: Shakira's Sexiest Moments

 "De la Rúa spent more than six years building the Shakira brand into one the most valuable pop-star brands in the entertainment industry," the suit says. "The profits earned by the partnership in 2011 and 2012, and millions of dollars that it will earn in the future, were generated by the deals he conceptualized, originated, negotiated and executed."

The lawsuit recounts the course of the pair's relationship, beginning in 2000 when they first met in Argentina, though the development of their business partnership in 2004. The suit says that when the romantic nature of the relationship ended in 2010, Shakira wrote on her website that "We continue to be partners in our business and professional lives," but later instructed an attorney to "terminate de la Rúa, as if he were a mere employee," according to the suit.

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