"American Idol" Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips reportedly wants out of his contract with the show and 19 Entertainment, claiming that he was under an unfair contract and that he and his career were being controlled, Pop Crush reported.
In an exclusive interview with Hollywood Reporter held Thursday, Phillips revealed that he filed a "bombshell" petition with the California Labor Commissioner after feeling "manipulated" over the "oppressive, fatally conflicted" management of 19 Entertainment.
"I am very grateful for the opportunities provided to me through appearing on 'American Idol,'" he said. "However, I have not felt that I have been free to conduct my career in a way that I am comfortable with."
In his petition, he cited the Talent Agencies Act, which stated that "only licensed talent agents can procure employment for clients" and revealed that 19 Entertainment gets as much as a 40 percent cut off his profits. He also explained that the company lied to him about receiving mechanical royalties for his songs, chose a producer for his first two albums that only ended up compromising Phillips' interests and withheld other information during the course of his career.
Phillips also talked about an event where he had to perform for free to promote JetBlue which he was unable to decline because it apparently benefitted the "American Idol" live concert tour. He even shared that it reached the point where he had no control over his album's title, "Behind the Light," only finding out what it was when he heard it from someone else, according to TMZ.
19 Entertainment disputed the claims though.
"We're very proud of everything we've accomplished together with Phillip," their statement read. "We have always acted in the best interest of Phillip. We will vigorously defend ourselves from any baseless claims to the contrary and from any attempt to interfere with our rights and relationships."
Phillips is represented by attorney Howard King from King Holmes Paterno & Berliner. He stated, "I look forward to being able to make my own choices about my career and to being able to make great music and play it for my fans."
While Phillips' cause is valid and also a good show for artists protecting their own careers, one has to wonder about what it would mean for his career as it takes many years for such matters to be settled. Another cause for concern are the contestants who continue to compete on "American Idol," especially as it just recently launched its 14th season.