She got her big break when she was signed to Roc Nation in 2008 at the tender age of 18.
But
Rita Ora is now seeking to end her agreement with rap mogul Jay-Z's
record label, claiming it is in violation of California's 'seven-year
rule' in the lawsuit filed on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The
25-year-old X Factor judge has only released one album since her
signing, her 2012 self-titled debut, and she's claiming the company’s
change in direction led to her being forgotten about.
Breaking free: Rita Ora has filed a
lawsuit against her record label Roc Nation on Thursday, claiming her
contract is in violation of California's 'seven-year rule'
As Roc
Nation's interests diversified, there were fewer resources available and
the company suffered a revolving door of executives.
'Rita's
remaining supporters at the label left or moved on to other activities,
to the point where she no longer had a relationship with anyone at the
company.'
Former mentor: Rita was signed to rap mogul Jay-Z's label Roc Nation in 2008 at the tender age of 18
The lawsuit
cites Roc Nation's interest in sports management and other endeavors
like streaming service Tidal as specific examples.
The
paperwork continues to call Roc Nation a 'diminished' record label with
'only a handful of admittedly worthy heritage superstar artists.'
In an attempt to break her contract, Rita is citing Labour Code §2855, known colloquially as the ‘Seven Year Rule’.
Seeking a split: The paperwork calls
Roc Nation a 'diminished' record label with 'only a handful of
admittedly worthy heritage superstar artists'
The code was
successfully used by actress Olivia De Haviland in 1944 when she filed a
lawsuit against Warner Bros, setting a precedent for future cases in
the showbiz industry.
Rita’s attorney Howard King said he hopes the judge can see that the same circumstances as Olivia’s case can be applied to Rita.
The complaint continues: 'Rita's relationship with Roc Nation is irrevocably damaged.
'Fortunately
for Rita, the California legislature had the foresight to protect its
artists from the sorts of vicissitudes she's experienced with Roc
Nation.'
After the news broke, 'Free Rita' began trending on Twitter as fans backed the singer's bid to be released from the label.
Rita's representative declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.
Taking action: 'Rita's relationship with Roc Nation is irrevocably damaged', the complaint read
