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A judge shut down Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube in their attempt to avoid being deposed as part of a $1 million lawsuit accusing the rappers of fraud, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
On Wednesday, October 22, a Superior Court of Los Angeles judge ruled that Snoop, 53, and Ice Cube’s argument that they did not have any relevant knowledge about the legal battle was not sufficient.
The judge noted Snoop and Ice Cube, 56, were both “actual signatories” on the contract with Westside Merchandising, the company that brought the lawsuit in question.
The court order also ruled that the evidence presented did not show Westside Merchandise intended to harass or embarrass Snoop and Ice Cube with the deposition request.
Per the court documents, Snoop and Ice Cube’s plea for a protective order that would have allowed them to skip being questioned under oath completely, or in the alternative, they proposed appearing remotely for a maximum of two hours.
As Us first reported, Westside Merchandising sued Snoop, Ice Cube, E-40, and Too Short over a planned collaboration for the rapper’s group Mount Westmore.
Mount Westmore is a group consisting of Snoop, Ice Cube, E-40, 57, and Too Short, 59. The group released their debut album in 2022.
In legal documents, Westside claimed it entered into a deal in 2022 with the defendants to serve as the exclusive vendor for the group’s merchandise for a planned tour. The company said it paid $1.3 million in advances.
The company said it was led to believe Mount Westmore would be going on a 60-date tour in America and Europe. They expected to sell the merchandise at every stop.
“[Westside Merchandising] was also assured that Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube, both of whom were defined as key men under the [agreement], would publicize and promote the agreement by producing a promotional video to be posted on [Mount Westmore’s] social media accounts and by appearing at a retail location of Westside’s choice,” a lawyer for Westside wrote. “None of this happened.”
Westside said Mount Westmore only performed a “mere three concerts in 2022, and zero concerts in 2023 or 2024.”
In addition, they alleged the rappers failed to make the required promotional videos. Westside said it demanded the return of the $1.3 million but the defendants refused.
In response, Snoop, Ice Cube and the other defendants denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Too Short and E-40 said they weren’t even parties to the agreement.
John Fowler, an attorney for Westside Merchandise, previously told Us, “Defendants in this case are trying to hide from having their depositions taken because they are scared of answering difficult questions relating to their swindle.”
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Fowler added, “The defendants took my client’s money, promising to be an upstanding partner focused on touring and merchandising efforts, only to run away with seven figures of funding, and failing to provide anything in return. My clients were sold a bill of goods, and have lost millions of dollars in merchandising opportunities, while the defendants have enriched themselves at my client’s expense.”
Frank Seddigh, a lawyer for the defendants, previously told Us, “Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, E-40, and Too Short, collectively known as Mount Westmore, have always conducted their business in good faith and with integrity. Despite multiple attempts to resolve this matter amicably, Westside Merchandising has refused to cooperate or engage in good-faith discussions.”
Seddigh added, “Moreover, the company has failed to uphold its contractual obligations by withholding royalty payments and sales accounting that are rightfully owed to our clients. We intend to take all necessary steps to compel compliance. The facts and the law will ultimately show that Westside Merchandising’s claims against our clients are entirely baseless and without merit.”
English (US) ·