The Hollywood Reporter has obtained a copy of a California lawsuit that claims Adam Lambert had an operating agreement with recording label Welsford Music Productions at the time he auditioned for American Idol in 2008. According to the complaint, that would put Lambert in breach of the TV show’s eligibility requirements. The timing of the suit from Colwel Platinum, Welsford’s parent company, comes soon after the spiky-haired singer’s reps sent Amazon.com takedown notices regarding a Lambert album Colwel had started marketing. “This release comes as a surprise to me … †Lambert tweeted on October 6, announcing that the Colwel Beg for Mercy project was really the same thing as Take One, his 2009 album consisting of mostly pre–American Idol material. (The lawsuit contends in part that Lambert wrote and recorded the tracks on Take One while under an agreement with Welsford, which says it paid him $200,000.)Â
The Hollywood Reporter’s article states that Amazon took down the Colwel album on October 14, but a quick check on the e-tailer’s site shows Beg for Mercy still listed, at $9.99. With the story already popping up on sites like Billboard.com, Lambert several hours ago sent out a cautionary tweet: “Remember than [sic] in any dispute, reserve judgement [sic] until all the facts surface from ALL parties. Guilt and innocence come with a complete story.â€