Grammy-winning music producer Timbaland has officially filed a lawsuit against his former managers, alleging that they had “abused” their official role while working for him.The rapper has reportedly sued his ex-manager, Gary Marella, and former business manager, Bruce Seckendorf, for USD 15 million, claiming fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and civil theft, among other things.
Timbaland’s former managers face a USD 15 million lawsuit
As per The Hollywood Reporter, a 65-to-75-page lawsuit was submitted on Friday, October 30, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court by the Grammy-winning icon. According to the filing, Timbaland’s legal representatives shared that Marella and Seckendorf had benefited from the music producer for years while they were employed under him and took advantage of career, catalog, reputation, and relationships.The filing read that the former managers “left Plaintiffs with depleted assets, undisclosed liabilities, costly litigation, and the burden of reconstructing their own financial affairs,” continuing, “Plaintiffs lost not only cash but also catalog and royalty rights tied to songs that became part of modern popular culture, rights whose economic and legacy value cannot be recreated or repurchased once sold. Even after their authority was revoked, Defendants continued exploiting the access, relationships, and goodwill they had abused, refused to account for what they had done, and took no steps to restore what Plaintiffs lost.”In a statement given to Rolling Stone, Timbaland’s legal rep Tyna Coats stated, “Timbaland hired him to manage his business affairs and protect his interests. Holding someone accountable for the responsibilities they were hired and paid to perform is not shifting blame.”Some of the other allegations against the former managers include unauthorised commissions, fees, and reimbursements, as well as falsified financial records and communications. The ‘SexyBack’ star also alleged that Marella had taken an inflated commission worth USD 775,000 for a catalog transaction. However, he had allegedly hidden unresolved co-producer royalty obligations. This led the producer to deal with multiple legal issues that lasted years.
Gary Marella opposed Timbaland’s lawsuit
In an official statement shared with the outlet, Marella opposed all of the claims, alleging that the 54-year-old was “attempting to shift responsibility for his own overspending and financial decisions onto someone else.”While talking to PEOPLE about the legal matter, he added, “The allegation that I paid myself without his knowledge is not possible. His business manager handled his finances and paid management commissions along with every other payment on Tim’s behalf, which Tim was aware of,” further sharing that Timbaland had already been in a bad financial shape when he started working with him in 2017.He continued, “Regarding Beatclub, Tim and I come from the music business, not the technology area. Unfortunately, we hired a bad CTO who spent a significant amount of our capital, repeatedly missed deadlines, and ultimately failed to build the platform properly. Tim and I took out a joint $1 million loan, approximately $980,000 of which has been used to pay outstanding company obligations.”
Timbaland also claims that his home almost went into foreclosure
According to the lengthy filing, Timbaland also alleged that there was a lot of mismanagement with his funds and that his home almost went into foreclosure. He and his wife, Michelle, had received a foreclosure notice in March 2024, which “came as a shock.” He had contacted Seckendorf to ask why he did not pay off the mortgage payments and to inform the producer of any issues. However, when the two met a month later, Seckendorf placed the blame on the music producer for not requesting monthly reports.
Timbaland is requesting a trial by jury and damages worth USD 15 million
Disclaimer: The information in this report is based on a legal hearing as reported by a third-party source. The details provided represent allegations made by the parties involved and are not proven facts. The case is ongoing, and a final verdict has not been reached. The publication does not claim that the allegations are true.