A Quezon City court ruled that actress-singer Nadine Lustre should still honour her existing contract with Viva Artists Agency after she was sued by the company for leaving it last year.
In a resolution dated June 3 and signed June 11, Regional Trial Court Branch 220 Judge Jose G. Paneda said Lustre should still follow her contract with Viva signed in 2014. She was also ordered by the court to “cease and desist” from entering into new work contracts as an artist or endorser and from fulfilling deals she’s already signed “without Viva’s consent and participation.”
"Petitioner (Viva) has established its unequivocal right arising from the subject Revised Agency and Management Agreement," the court stated.
"It has established that respondent (Lustre) contracted with them to act as sole and exclusive manager for respondent’s exercise of profession in the show business," it added.
The court added that Lustre’s contracts with the agency were executed with her parents at the time that the actress was a minor.
“The contract between the parties is the law between them and Nadine cannot take the law into her own hands and unilaterally terminate her contract with VIVA,” the resolution further stated.
In her previous statement, the actress said she was not assisted by her parents, nor was she given a lawyer to help her understand her contract when she first signed it in 2009.
She also claimed that VAA “took advantage of circumstances when [she] was not in a good condition and mindset to understand their contract.”
Meanwhile, the court denied Viva’s request for a writ of preliminary attachment and/or writ of garnishment. This means Lustre will be able to keep her assets equivalent to the amount that Viva is claiming under the supposed breach of their contract.
The 27-year-old actress announced earlier in 2020 that she is no longer a Viva talent and that she will be “self-managed and will continue to be so indefinitely.” In December 2020, Viva sued her for breach of contract.
In a statement, Lustre and her legal counsel, Atty. Lorna Kapunan said they are not bothered by the breach of contract suit filed by the actress’ former agency.
“We welcome the complaint and we are confident that the truth will come out about VAA being predatory, oppressive and abusive not only of Nadine but its many other talents,” Kapunan said in an interview with ABS-CBN.
Her camp also disputed Viva’s stand and insisted it was the entertainment group that should be sued for breach of contract.
“The contract is an Agency contract and Nadine is the Principal — and it is the right of the Principal to terminate the Agent when it is not performing its commitments under the Agency Agreement,” Kapunan said.
“We are prepared to prove VAA’s material breach of the contract. We are likewise prepared to show that VAA is guilty of tortious third party interference by its threatening/ pressuring third parties dealing with Nadine in good faith and scaring them with potential court cases.”
Aside from Diary ng Panget, Lustre also starred in some of the successful film and TV projects including “Ulan,” “On The Wings of Love,” and “Never Not Love You” that gave her Best Actress trophies from Gawad Urian and FAMAS.
