Entertainment
David Beckham goes to trial in $10 million battle with Fitness Co., co-owned by ex-boyfriend Mark Wahlberg
April 22, 2024, published at 2:00 PM ET
David Beckham and the co-owned fitness company Mark Wahlberg are on trial in the brutal $10 million lawsuit in which the football star claimed he was ‘duped’.
This is evident from court documents obtained by RadarOnline.comF45 Training, co-owned by the Hollywood star, demanded Beckham’s bombshell lawsuit be heard before a federal jury, despite Beckham’s company DB Ventures [DBVL] argue for a trial bench.
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In the suit, first reported by The sunDB Ventures explained that it has signed a deal to be the brand ambassador of F45 in 2020. The company is co-owned by Wahlberg.
Beckham became close to the Hollywood star after moving to Los Angeles.
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In court, Beckham’s lawyer said his client fulfilled several obligations for his role, including being available for events, press interviews, photo and video shoots and other promotional opportunities. Beckham agreed not to offer his services to competing fitness training companies for five years.
Beckham’s attorney wrote: “F45 recognized the importance of that relationship to its brand strategy and to prevent Beckham from associating with competitors such as Equinox, CrossFit, Barry’s Bootcamp and Soul Cycle, and agreed to pay DBVL significant cash and stock compensation and to continue paying substantial damages even if the agreement was terminated due to F45’s material breach.”
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The lawyer added“Having enjoyed enormous success through its public partnership with Beckham, F45 now claims that it was never obliged to compensate DBVL for Beckham’s services – and that it never had the legal ability to provide that compensation, despite the fact that it claimed and justified that it did so.”
Under their deal, Beckham would receive $1.5 million annually. In addition, the company agreed to issue DBVL, on the six-month anniversary of F45’s initial public offering and again on the one-year anniversary of that initial public offering, of shares equal to 1% of the total outstanding common shares per respective initial public offering . vesting date, or $5 million in F45 shares, whichever is greater.
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Beckham said F45 breached the deal and never paid him what was promised. F45 demanded that the suit be thrown away. The company denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The company argued that it had met its contractual and legal obligations and that there was “no breach of the agreement by F45.”
In court documents filed in November 2023, Beckham revealed that he believes F45 should pay him at least $9,357,299 for the alleged breach of contract and another $5 million for a second breach.
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“DBVL also seeks a declaratory judgment that it will remain entitled to $4,500,000 in post-termination payments as are due under the agreement,” the filing said.
In the filing, Beckham’s company said the witnesses included Wahlberg and his business partners.
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DBVL said the parties had previously agreed to a bench trial. However, Wahlberg’s company requested a jury trial. This was expected to last seven to eight days.
After hearing from both sides, the judge decided on a jury trial. A hearing will take place in January 2025.
