Singer Marc Anthony needs to know what happened to his $1.3 million.
In papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, the former Mr. Jennifer Lopez says he loaned over $1 million to a company called ClubCreate Inc. between 2011 and 2013 — and hasn’t been repaid a penny.
Anthony got involved with the website, which essentially provides artists with an online recording studio, back in 2011, at the recommendation of his brother/manager, Bigram Zayas, the filing says.
Anthony agreed to let the company use his name and likeness in its advertising, which it did, even touting him as its “chairman and co-founder. “
In reality, the suit says, the company never appointed him to the “executive” position he’d been promised, and never gave him any of the stock it told him he would be getting.
And there’s the part about the $1.3 million in loans, on which the Latino heartthrob says the company flat-out stiffed him, according to the suit.
Anthony and another business partner found out part of the reason why this past spring, the suit says. The company’s CEO, Corey Simmons, had been mismanaging the books for years, and using its funds as his “personal piggy bank,” the suit charges.
Instead of paying the company’s bills, the filing says, Simmons used the money to make “loans” to his girlfriend, and to pay for his own dental work, rent and wardrobe. He also made “substantial and unaccounted for” cash withdrawals, and never filed tax returns for the company, the suit says.
Anthony is seeking repayment of the loan, appointment of himself as the company’s executive director, a complete financial accounting for the operation, and unspecified monetary damages.
Officials from ClubCreate did not immediately return an email requesting comment. Simmons, when reached by the Daily News, said he was unable to answer questions at the moment because he was in a meeting.
dgregorian@nydailynews.com
