Kevin Costner’s band seeks more than $8.5 million in lawsuit against promoter

By M&C News Apr 6, 2007, 9:38 GMT

Kevin Costner - The Guardian Movie Photocall in Madrid - Villamagna Hotel - Madrid, Spain © Photorazzi

Many of Hollywood’s top actors have dreams of being rock stars and Oscar-winner Kevin Costner is no different with his pet project the Kevin Costner Band. Now, the actor has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit for more than $8.5 million against Mahee Worldwide Ventures Inc. for not following through on promises to promote the band.

Costner’s Kevin's Music LLC (which handles the actor’s musical interest) filed the lawsuit on Tuesday claiming the New York based Mahee Worldwide Ventures Inc. made "numerous promises regarding their capability to promote Mr. Costner's music" if they could use Costner’s fame to help gain attention for the band. The lawsuit claims the Mahee Worldwide promoter "ultimately disappeared, refusing to cooperate or even to communicate with KML and its representatives."

In the lawsuit, Costner’s Kevin's Music LLC claims Mahee Worldwide (who reportedly used Lindsay Lohan as a reference for their success at promoting actors turned rock stars) approached the actor in December of 2006. They offered “millions of dollars in guaranteed fees” in a promotional campaign. The suit states that both parties signed a two-year deal that would see Mahee Worldwide promoting the band through Internet sites, and mobile content. The promoter was also to design a website for the Kevin Costner Band, and help arrange up to five concerts per year for the band.

Kevin’s Music LLC lawsuit claims the promoter promised the company 85 percent of the revenues from the band’s website, 50 percent of the profit from co-branding websites, and $160,000 per concert. There were also other guaranteed figures claimed in the lawsuit.