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Daddy Yankee Sues Ex-Manager Over Stolen Royalties
4 Dec
Summary
- Daddy Yankee alleges a decade-long scheme to steal royalties.
- The lawsuit accuses former manager and estranged wife of fraud.
- RICO Act used in civil suit seeking $3 million in damages.
Daddy Yankee, real name Ramón Ayala Rodríguez, has launched a major civil lawsuit against his former manager, Raphy Pina, and estranged wife, Mireddys González. The reggaeton icon claims they engaged in a nearly decade-long racketeering conspiracy to illicitly claim songwriting royalties. The 107-page complaint utilizes the federal RICO Act, typically reserved for organized crime, to detail the alleged scheme.
Pina is accused of falsely designating himself as a songwriter on more than a dozen of Daddy Yankee's hits since 2015, thereby diverting publishing income. González, who managed the singer's businesses for over 20 years, allegedly provided administrative support to falsify the split sheets. The lawsuit also names Pina's mentor and a lawyer as co-conspirators in this alleged fraud.
The legal action follows Daddy Yankee's divorce filing from González in December 2024. While divorce proceedings are ongoing, this lawsuit alleges that a financial audit following Daddy Yankee's seizure of control over his music companies revealed the extent of the royalty fraud. Daddy Yankee is seeking at least $3 million in damages and a court injunction to reclaim his full publishing rights.
