Bret Michaels sues cruise ship company (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Bret Michaels has entered some choppy legal waters.

The Poison frontman and "Rock of Love" star filed suit against Shoreline Tours on Monday, alleging that the cruise-ship company participated in "a fraudulent scheme" intended to get Michaels to drastically drop his agreed-upon fee for two performances on one of its cruises.

According to the suit, Michaels' was approached by promoter Willie Donwell to perform a two concerts on a "Super Cruise" this fall, with Donwell handling the promotion, as well as the collection of Michaels' fee.

However, the suit alleges, Donwell was "essentially a shill" for Shoreline in a "bait and switch" maneuver in order to get Michaels to cut his fee.

Michaels and Donwell, the suit says, initially agreed to a $750,000 fee for the two performances, to be paid through Donwell in installments. However, according to the suit, Donwell never had any intention of paying Michaels' fee, and shortly dropped out of the deal, citing health woes, after shifting promotion powers to Shoreline.

After an initial payment of $250,000 was made by Shoreline, Michaels alleges, the company, through its agent, Tim Towle, began complaining about poor advance ticket sales (claims that, the suit alleges, are fraudulent).

According to the suit, after the complaints, Shoreline sent a July 2011 offer to Michaels' camp, offering to continue promoting the cruise if the singer would agree to perform for just $100,000 more than $250,000 he'd already received -- or $400,000 less than $750,000 he'd initially agreed to.

Michaels is seeking damages to be determined, plus interest, court costs and attorney's fees. The suit also names Towle and Donwell individually.

Shoreline Tours did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

Yahoo! News

Bret Michaels suit over Tonys accident moved to NY (AP)

LOS ANGELES – Bret Michaels' lawsuit over an accident at the 2009 Tony Awards that the singer claims nearly killed him should be heard in New York where the accident happened, a federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled.

It makes more sense for the case — which stems from Michaels being hit in the head by a set piece after performing at Radio City Music Hall — to be handled by a federal court in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee wrote in a ruling Tuesday.

The Poison frontman sued CBS Broadcasting and Tony organizers in March in Los Angeles, claiming the accident contributed to a brain hemorrhage that nearly killed him. His attorneys argued the case should be heard on the West Coast since Michaels lives in Los Angeles and Arizona, as do some witnesses, including his manager and other workers.

Gee agreed with attorneys for Tony Awards Productions that much of the potential evidence and the vast majority of witnesses — including actors and production workers on the awards show — are in New York.

Michaels' attorney Alex Weingarten said the ruling doesn't impact the singer's case. "The damages are the same in New York or California," he said.

Michaels is seeking unspecified damages on claims that show organizers never explained that the set would be changing after the band performed "Nothin' But a Good Time" during the 2009 Tony Awards. The accident broke his nose, and he contends it led to the hemorrhage that later left him hospitalized and forced him to cancel several concerts.

He also claims the show could have prevented the incident from airing, but chose not to. The clip of the accident became a viral hit on the Internet, with more than 27 million views on YouTube when the case was originally filed.

Email messages to spokespersons for the Tonys were not immediately returned.

Yahoo! News

Bret Michaels -- Making An 'Amazing Recovery'

5/3/2010 12:30 AM PDT by TMZ Staff   Bret Michaels continued to make tremendous progress in his recovery this weekend -- and one source close to the singer tells us the whole thing is nothing short of "amazing."

We're told Bret was "very aware" and in a "good mood" this weekend during an evaluation with a specialist -- the singer was even described as "somewhat talkative."

It's a major improvement from the "critical" state Bret was in after suffering a massive hemorrhage near his brain stem back on April 23 -- a condition that can often be fatal if not treated quickly by experienced professionals. 

Tags: Bret Michaels, Exclusives

TMZ News

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Bret Michaels -- Stabilized

4/23/2010 5:15 PM PDT by TMZ Staff   Bret Michaels is awake, in good spirits and talking ... TMZ has learned.

Ambre Lake, the Season 2 winner of "Rock of Love," tells TMZ she's spoken with people who are close to Bret who say he's stabilized and conscious. 

Lake's tale matches another contestant who has also spoken with Bret's bandmates.

We're told the next 24 to 48 hours are critical -- Bret will be closely monitored.

Tags: Bret Michaels, Nurse!, Exclusives

TMZ News

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