Ashanti Sued by Former Manager

By: Janine Coveney

Singer Ashanti has been sued by a former manager who claims that she is owed millions of dollars for helping the singer's career. Linda Berk filed suit in Manhattan federal court Tuesday, alleging that she had guided Ashanti, now 25, from an unknown minor to a "music and entertainment superstar" before her contract was terminated in May 2003.

Berk says she first met the aspiring singer in 1993 and signed an initial contract with Ashanti's mother, Tina Douglas, establishing Berk as co-manager of the star back in 1999. Just four years later, she was informed the contract would be terminated, according to the suit.

A spokesman for Ashanti told Reuters that the contract simply expired. "The contract naturally expired and we didn't renew it," he stated.

Ashanti won a Grammy in 2003 for her solo debut, Ashanti. She landed atop the R&B charts with her single "Foolish" as well as with "Always On Time" with Ja Rule and "What's Luv" with Fat Joe. She released Concrete Rose in 2004, and Collectables, featuring both new and old material, appeared in 2005.

The Long Island, New York native has met with some hard times of late. In April her 20-year-old cousin and personal assistant, Quinshae Snead, was killed in a car crash in Johannesburg, South Africa, causing her to cancel shows.

Back in January, she filed a federal lawsuit over what she says is the unauthorized international release of Can't Stop, which features demo tapes she recorded about eight years ago. She's asking for $1 million in damages for unfair competition, invasion of privacy, trademark infringement, and lost wages, among other charges