Beyoncé’s team is attempting to set the record straight.
Earlier this week, fashion designer/artist Nusi Quero took to Instagram with claims of unpaid fees. He specifically called out Bey’s stylist, Marni Senofonte, of failing to pay him for various projects, including work for the Renaissance cover art.
“As a stylist for B, I really expected the best from you and your team,” Quero wrote in a since-deleted post. “But since you won’t responded to texts and emails. I supposed this is the final venue I can utilize before legal means to settle your outstanding balances, that you’ve owed me and my collaborator for about 3 months.”
The designer went on to say Senofonte had “paid a 50 percent deposit to me for one of the three jobs,” not including the work he did for the album cover; he also claimed he and his team didn’t receive those payments for more than a month. He claimed the projects in question included the “album cover piece,” a second variation of the cover ensemble, styling services for an unnamed music video, and “a red custom 3D printed top I miraculously procured last miniature for a video shoot.”
Bey’s team has denied the “troubling” allegations, insisting Quero had been compensated.
“It is deeply troubling that designer Nusi Quero has posted damaging statements about Marni Senofonte regarding non-payments for work completed. In fact, he was paid for his work, and there is proof of all payments made,” Bey’s representative said in a statement to ET Online. “We have been in communication with his team and there were three payments made to him.
“The first payment was made on May 9, 2022. The second payment, a fifty percent down payment on the agreed cost, was made via wire on July 8, 2022,” the statement continued. “The third and final payment was returned when he changed his account number. It was returned as an invalid account number based on an error on his part. After persistent and exhausting communication to get the correct information on his account and two unsuccessful wire transfer attempts, a physical check was mailed to him for final payment on September 29, 2022.”
On Friday, Quero posted a photo of a check that he claimed was “partial payment of unpaid invoices” for servces he provided in June and July. The dollar amount written on the check, which was seemingly issued on Friday, was $18,425.
“Your harassment of me is disgusting, unwarranted, and doesn’t phase me,” he wrote in the caption. “You don’t even know what you’re mad at. My art is worth the money I ask for it. You’re acting like a press release from a billion dollar company with a PR firm and legal team on a gossip rag like Page Six is the truth. Get fucking real.”
He continued: “They didn’t even reach out to me for comment like it says they did. You’re trying to tear my name down for what? There are real enemies you should be firing at. I literally am just trying to make beautiful things. I can’t do that without the money I’m owed for it.”