Ricky Martin Sued by Former Manager, Reportedly Issued Restraining Order in Puerto Rico

Ricky Martin is being sued by his former talent manager, Rebecca Drucker, for breach of contract. The former manager claims that the singer failed to pay her upwards of $3 million in commissions. 

In the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on June 29, Drucker also claimed to have once “saved” Martin’s career from a “devastating” scandal and went on to say that he has substance abuse issues and fostered a “toxic” work environment. 

“For years, she protected Martin from the consequences of his reckless indiscretions,” according to the lawsuit. “Rebecca did so not only because she was his manager, but also because she thought that Martin was her dear friend.”

Drucker said she first befriended Martin in the early 2000s, before working for him around 2013. In February 2018, the two parted ways “after a particularly ugly incident in Dubai involving Martin and his representative José Vega and other disputes,” according to the lawsuit. The manager said that the 50-year-old singer’s career “took a nosedive” after she stopped working with the artist and he “begged” her to work with him again, an offer she accepted in 2020 under the condition that she would receive a five percent commission.

The lawsuit continued that Drucker “resurrected” Martin’s career “in every way,” with the help of sponsorship deals, touring, and recording contracts, in addition to assisting him with a number of personal issues, including his non-payment of taxes, substance abuse, and problems with the nanny he hired to care for his children. She eventually resigned from working with Martin in 2021 and said Martin “fostered a toxic work environment wherein he constantly mistreated, manipulated, and lied to Rebecca” in the lawsuit, and that Martin asked her to return to work for him again for a 10 percent commission. She agreed and resigned again in April of 2022. 

Drucker is seeking the $3 million of unpaid commissions from deals she said she brokered for Martin.

In an unrelated event, Martin was reportedly served with a restraining order in Puerto Rico on July 2. Authorities reportedly visited an upscale neighborhood in the north coastal town of Dorado where the singer lives to try to serve the order, according to police spokesman Axel Valencia. “Up until now,” said Valencia, “police haven’t been able to find him.”

Though the name of the individual who requested the restraining order is unknown, and no further details could be disclosed under Puerto Rico domestic violence law, a local newspaper reported that Martin and the other party dated for several months before breaking up two months ago. The report went on to say that Martin did not accept the separation and was seen near the person’s home on several occasions and that the individual feared for their life.

The unnamed individual, who is not believed to be Martin’s husband of five years, Swedish painter Jwan Josef, reportedly went directly to police seeking a temporary restraining order and was granted one based on the evidence presented.

“The allegations against Ricky Martin that lead to a protection order are completely false and fabricated,” said a representative for Martin in a statement. “We are very confident that when the true facts come out in this matter our client Ricky Martin will be fully vindicated.”

A court hearing is reportedly scheduled for both parties on July 21.

Martin released his 10th album, and sixth in Spanish, A Quien Quiera Escuchar, in 2015 and has been working on releasing new music, including a video shoot the artist was working on for his upcoming single. In 2021, Martin also joined Enrique Iglesias for a 26-show co-headlining tour.

Photo: Sony Music