In case you’ve been living under a rock, Nadine Lustre has been in a legal battle with talent management firm Viva Artists Agency (VAA) since last year. In January of 2020, Lustre announced that she was leaving the agency and will be self-managing instead, which VAA responded to by warning her that they will be taking legal action. In December, the agency made good of that warning and filed a lawsuit against the singer and actress for “continuous violation of her contract.”
That lawsuit has finally reached its conclusion, with the Quezon City court upholding Viva’s contract with Lustre. This means that, at least for now, Lustre will remain under contract with VAA. According to ABS-CBN, the court granted the agency “interim measures of protection and directing Lustre to honor and uphold her contractual obligations.”
Lustre’s lawyer Lorna Kapunan, however, notes that “the interim protection resolution for Viva was only partially granted [with the court stating] that its aim was to preserve the status quo until the full merits of the case can be heard fully or at such time when the court decides that Viva and Lustre’s contract is null and void.”
Kapunan also said that their team is still taking the resolution as a win despite it not looking too favorable. “We still consider it a victory since Viva was not able to get her hard-earned money during the time of her self-management; no attachment and garnishments to her property and savings,” she said, adding that “the question of termination of her contract will have to go through the process of labor arbitration.”
It seems that while this chapter has come to a close, there’ll be more to come as Lustre and her team continue to fight for the actress and singer’s freedom.
Meanwhile, many fans have voiced their frustration at the ruling. They continue to echo Kapunan’s previous allegations that Lustre’s contract was unethical and predatory, pointing out that Viva will be claiming 40 percent from Lustre’s earnings.
Photo screengrabbed from the “Wildest Dreams” music video
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