On Saturday, Tyrese prematurely ended a performance after allegedly nearly being served lawsuit docs mid-set. TMZ claims that a process server arrived at the singer’s concert to deliver legal papers related to video director Bryan Barber’s 2023 defamation lawsuit before Tyrese hastily hurried away.
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On May 11, the Baby Boy star joined R&B legend, Eric Benet, for a concert at Georgia’s Stockbridge Amphitheater, but his set was cut short after a security guard whispered something into his ear, presumably notifying him about the legal processor who showed up to serve him lawsuit documents, according to TMZ.
While singing his hit song, “How You Gonna Act Like That,” the star swiftly exited stage right, continuing to sing as he made his way through the crowd and out of the venue, according to a video shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
At one point, the singer could be heard shouting;
“I’m over my time ya’ll! I love you, I love you!”
TMZ noted that Tyrese had three songs remaining in his set before quickly departing.
Why Did Bryan BarberSsue Tyrese?
In 2023, Barber filed a $10 million defamation and libel suit against Tyrese, claiming that the “Sweet Lady” singer slandered his reputation after he made allegations about him during a September 2023 appearance on The Breakfast Club, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
At the time, Tyrese, 45, claimed that Barber filmed him conversing with Charlemagne Da God at his Atlanta residence but later refused to return the footage. Allegedly, Tyrese paid Barber $35,000 for the video.
According to the lawsuit, Barber said that he and Tyrese agreed to share profits from the video’s streaming or distribution evenly. However, Tyrese allegedly instructed Barber not to release the footage to safeguard his reputation, something the singer denied during his The Breakfast Club interview. Barber also accused the star of failing to follow through on their agreed 50/50 revenue split for the interview.
After Tyrese’s midshow scurrying, he took to Instagram to reflect on the Stockbridge Amphitheater concert but didn’t address his sudden departure. Instead, the singer paid homage to his late mother, Priscilla Murray Gibson, who passed away in 2022.
“Special day, two hours before the show I was going to cancel because my heart was so heavy. I just didn’t think I could get through it……” he penned.
He also thanked fans for their “love and energy” in the audience.
“…Thank you guys for showing up tonight. Bet you’re my brother from another mother you are incredible!’ he added.
“I’m ready to do a Tyrese and Eric Benet tour….. I think that would be GROWN and SEXY beyond special.”
What do you think about Tyrese scurrying offstage midshow?