Lady Gaga‘s ex-boyfriend and former business partner Rob Fusari has filed a lawsuit against the singer for more than $30 million, claiming he help launch her career and deserves a share of the profits from her success.
Producer Rob Fusari, who co-wrote Lady Gaga’s hit song “Paparazzi,” claims he discovered her in 2006 when she was playing under her birth name of Stefani Germanotta. In addition to being instrumental in kick-starting her career, Fusari claims he is even responsible for Lady Gaga’s infamous moniker.
According to court documents, Fusari states that the name came about when he “addressed a cell phone text to Germanotta under the moniker ‘Radio Gaga’ [a Queen song], his cell phone’s spell check converted ‘Radio’ to ‘Lady.’ Germanotta loved it and ‘Lady Gaga’ was born.â€
Gaga’s spurned lover also takes credit for remaking Germanotta as a musician and vocalist as well. “He pushed her to explore different musical genres,” the lawsuit claims. “Over the course of the next several months, Germanotta commuted from New York to Jersey seven days a week, radically reshaping her approach. They put their focus on writing music and finding a sound for her.”
In the lawsuit against Lady Gaga, Rob Fusari is asking for a 20 percent cut of Gaga’s companies Team Love Child and Mermaid Music. Fusari says a contract he made with Lady Gaga in 2006 promised him a portion of her revenue and proceeds from merchandising.
Fusari alleges in the lawsuit that Lady Gaga stopped speaking with him after their relationship fell apart and she signed a new recording contract with Interscope in 2007. Now he wants her to cough up the money he says she owes him under their previous agreements.
Reps for Lady Gaga have so far not commented on the lawsuit or allegations made by Fusari.
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