Mary J. Blige has been sued, following allegations she and husband, Martin Kendu Isaacs, defaulted on a $2.2 million bank loan.
According to papers filed Wednesday in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Signature Bank is suing the couple for the amount of the original loan plus interest of $58,000.
The lawsuit alleges Blige and Isaacs took out the loan in October 2011 and defaulted in July 2012. Court documents also name Blige’s production company, Mary Jane Productions Inc.
2012 has been a tough year for Blige, normally recognized for her soulful vocals and inspirational lyrics, rather than financial controversies. The Grammy winning artist has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, but saw tepid sales with her latest release, 2011’s My Life II…the Journey Continues.
This is the second lawsuit for the singer this year, Mary J. Blige was sued along with Steve Stoute Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now Inc, after they defaulted on a $250,000 TD bank loan. The duo’s reputation also took a hit when they were accused of mishandling funds and failing to pay scholarship students. Blige said at the time she “didn’t have the right people in the right places doing the right things” and promised to resolve the matter for the young women.
In April, the singer faced further controversy over the offensive nature of her Burger King commercials. The “No More Drama” singer was seen standing on a table singing about Burger King’s new chicken wrap in an ad to the tune of her own “Don’t Mind” song. The blacklash stemmed from longstanding stereotypes between African Americans and fried chicken.
Burger King eventually pulled the ad due to complaints and Blige released a statement to the Associated Press, “I agreed to be a part of a fun and creative campaign that was supposed to feature a dream sequence. Unfortunately, that’s not what was happening in that clip, so I understand my fans being upset by what they saw,” she said.
While she saved face with the statement, the whole ordeal was an embarrassment for Blige, and now the loan default is merely adding to a stream of negative press attention.
Blige has yet to release a statement on the loan default or lawsuit.
