Hong Kong pop princess G.E.M., dubbed China’s Taylor Swift, faces US$15 million lawsuit by record label Hummingbird Music
- I Am a Singer star claims contract ends this month but label insists she is signed until 2022
- Hummingbird said it would suffer a loss of HK$40 million from her departure and another HK$2.6 million from cancelled concerts
A Hong Kong singer dubbed China’s Taylor Swift is facing a HK$120 million (US$15 million) lawsuit after she announced she would be parting ways with her record label following years of bitter dispute.
Hummingbird Music is taking action against Gloria Tang Tsz-kei, better known as G.E.M., due to a disagreement over the termination of her contract.
Court documents made available by the city’s High Court on Friday allege the singer-songwriter incorrectly claimed in a statement by her lawyers on March 7 that the company had ignored the end date of her contract.
The Hong Kong-based record label, led by founder Tan Chang and Austrian creative director Lupo Groinig, said the pop performer erroneously believed the contract was expiring at the end of March. The music label argued it remained valid until 2022.
Hummingbird said it would suffer a loss of HK$40 million from her departure and another HK$2.6 million from cancelled concerts. It also said it would have to fork out 6 million yuan (US$890,000) in damages to a cosmetics brand Tang would no longer be able to endorse.