Da Brat says she was paid scale to appear in her BFF Mariah Carey's classic bomb "Glitter" and is demanding her biggest creditor in her bankruptcy stop grilling her about the money she was paid for it. On December 11, Da Brat filed court docs in her Chapter 11 bankruptcy battle with Shayla Stevens, who the rapper allegedly assaulted in a nightclub several years back. Da Brat owes Stevens $8 million thanks to a court judgment.
The two are fighting over a confidentiality order in the case, which Da Brat is seeking in order to keep the proceedings private. Da Brat claims that since filing for bankruptcy, she has "been subjected to physical threats, stalking and harassment since the filing of this case primarily due to the increase of information posted on the internet. She is concerned that without the protection of a protective order prohibiting the disclosure of information gained through this process, e.g. outside of that information that is ordinarily generated during the course of a chapter 11 case, that these threats will escalate."
In the docs, Da Brat is also fighting back against Stevens' demands to comb through the rapper's finances more intensely, claiming she is not hiding anything and has or is in the process of handing over everything in her possession. Da Brat also takes issue with Steven's belief that she is getting paid for her social media and not disclosing the money.
"Based on allegations of money being allegedly paid to Debtor for her following on Twitter and Instagram," the docs state. "Debtor would be delighted to receive such funding for her following on social media. If Ms. Stevens has some ability for Debtor to receive this funding, please, bring it to her - show her - if there is some way for them, to together, maximize funding to Debtor from her efforts, this is in both of their long-term best interests."
As for the idea that Da Brat could just ask Mariah Carey or Jermaine Dupri for the money, her lawyers offer up this defense: "Why, one wonders, would Debtor have filed this Chapter 11 case, going public with her Georgia physical location, subjecting herself to stalkers and other harassment, along with the extra expenses of this case, if she could have addressed the debt with Ms. Stevens, with a pending incarceration order in Superior Court, if she could just get funding from a friendly celebrity down the street to resolve all of her outstanding problems? That is not how that comment seems to read to a someone not looking for underlying meanings - it appears that it was made by someone boxed into a corner in a public arena. It was not made under oath."
Da Brat takes issue with the demand for information about what she earned for the classic Mariah Carey film, "Glitter". She confirms to have appeared in the 2001 movie but claims "Glitter" was a major commercial failure and critical flop.
"On the weekend of its release, it only grossed $4.2 million in the US and $5.2 million worldwide at the Box Office; while its budget, which includes all pre- and post-production costs, filming, and promotion, was $22 million," the docs state. "The Actors, including Debtor, were paid the Sag-AFTRA 'Scale' rate which is the basic minimum daily rate for a day's work for each day in the medium."
Da Brat points out the last song she was credited for working on with Mariah was in 2001 and they have not released music since she got out of prison.
The judge has yet to make a ruling on the confidentiality order the parties are fighting over. Stevens has been trying to find out where Da Brat is making money to try and collect on her massive judgment. She explained Da Brat owes her $8,155,731 - which is the $6 mill verdict with massive interest over the years - and wants the court to allow her to comb through her finances next month to plot out her next move in the rapper's bankruptcy case.
Earlier this year, Da Brat filed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy with assets totaling $108,700.65 and liabilities totaling $7,782,249.57.
(The Blast)
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