Puff sued

Music

16:30 16 February 2005

Puff Daddy is being sued for taking a $300,000 advance for an autobiography he never wrote.

Publishing giants Random House Inc. have filed legal papers at New York's Supreme Court against the rap star claiming he "simply kept money he never rightly earned".

The company is wants a full refund of the advance, which they originally paid in 1998, plus interest and legal fees from the music mogul, real name Sean Combs.

The company said: "Random House has seldom resorted to a legal course of action with its prospective authors who don't write the books we have contracted for, but Mr. Sean Combs has left us no choice.

"He signed an agreement in 1998 to write his autobiography, which he agreed to complete and deliver to us in 1999. We now have waited for over five years and have received neither the manuscript nor the return of the money we advanced Mr. Combs."

Puffy's spokesman, Rob Shuter, acknowledged his client had been served with the lawsuit yesterday (15.02.05), but said he hoped it would be resolved without legal action.

Shuter said: "There was a disagreement with Random House that we hoped would be resolved without litigation. We anticipate that this will be resolved quickly."

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