Jay-Z has scored another win in his long-running legal battle with fragrance company Parlux.
The rapper inked a deal with the fragrance company to create a line called Gold Jay-Z back in 2012. While initial sales soared, the product line soon faltered. Parlux took the rapper to court, alleging that the product line’s poor performance was due to Jay-Z’s failure to honor promotional obligations. Those obligations included the 2014 launch event at Macy’s and promoting the product on Good Morning America. The lawsuit also alleged Jay-Z kept a $20,000 prototype bottle after rejecting its design for use on the line.
Parlux sought a $68 million judgment in 2016 but was met with a countersuit for royalties owed—around $4.5 million.
Jay-Z’s countersuit also alleged that Parlux Fragrances gave him inaccurate documentation on its financial health. That resulted in the company being unable to pay royalties it owed. The 2021 trial lasted three weeks upon which a jury determined Jay-Z did not owe the fragrance company anything.
In February 2022, an appeals court ruled that Parlux should be on the hook for royalty payments to the rapper. “The record is clear: Parlux sold licensed products after July 31, 2015 but failed to pay royalties on those sales.”
New York Supreme Court Justice Andrew Borrok ruled Parlux owes Jay-Z unpaid royalties. Despite its claims, it continued to sell the Gold Jay-Z fragrance into 2017. Parlux must pay $6.8 million in unpaid royalties and interest. Parlux has the right to file an appeal in this case, but has not done so yet.
“We’ve been awarded and will be receiving the money as we should,” Jay-Z’s lawyer Alex Spiro said in a comment to press. His lawyer argued that Jay-Z was given a year to make the agreed-upon appearances and was not required to show up for the launch event of the fragrance, despite Parlux Fragrances complaints about his absence.