Brandy files lawsuit against Chameleon Entertainment

Brandy Norwood, the 37-year-old singer behind hits like “Have You Ever?” and “The Boy Is Mine,” has filed suit against her record label Chameleon Entertainment and its president, Breyon Prescott, according to documents obtained by EW.

In the complaint, filed with L.A.’s Superior Court on Tuesday, the singer alleges her label “will not pay for her to record new albums or allow her to otherwise release music to her fans” in “a blatantly unlawful attempt to bully Norwood into signing a new recording and distribution agreement containing terms far worse than her current agreement.”

Brandy is seeking $1 million in compensatory damages. The documents allege that Prescott, who is reportedly employed by Epic Records as a head of A&R, attempted to have Norwood sign a new recording and distribution contract with the label, which would allow the company to profit from Norwood’s acting and touring projects.

The lawsuit also alleges that Chameleon balked after Brandy released 2012’s Two Eleven, which was supposed to be the first of a five-album deal. The allegations suggests that “pursuant to the Agreement, Chameleon was obligated to pay recording costs for the second album in the amount of $600,000,” 10 percent of which it would owe “promptly following receipt of notice that Norwood had commenced recording of the second album.”

But according to the lawsuit, “events occurred that led Defendants to want to delay Norwood from working on her second album.” Norwood’s legal team alleges that RCA, the label that distributed Norwood’s albums on behalf of Chameleon, terminated its distribution deal for her albums leaving Chameleon “in a bind.”

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that Chameleon suspended Norwood’s contract in April 2014, sending her a letter wherein the company accused her attorney of telling Chameleon’s president that she had “failed to cooperate” with the label.

In January, Brandy released a new single “Beggin & Pleadin” and spoke to EW about new music: “There’s definitely [an album] in the works. I’m recording in Los Angeles. I’m working, singing, and I’m ready. Nothing is going to get in my way.”

Reps for Brandy, Epic, and Chameleon did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.