Why Don’t We Forced to Postpone Ticket Sales Due to Lawsuit With Allegedly Abusive Manager
Why Don’t We have been forced to put their Good Times Only tour on hold “due to legal complications” regarding a lawsuit between their former managers, according to a post on social media. Tuesday, they announced that ticket sales are being postponed due to their former manager’s alleged attempts to “[exert] more control over our careers.”
The development is a consequence of the legal battle that started more than six months ago when David Loeffler — the group’s former manager, who Why Don’t We accused of “mental, emotional, and financial abuse” — and the group’s current manager Randy Phillips butted heads in court regarding control of the band’s management company, Signature Entertainment. (Both men filed opposing lawsuits. And the group filed a petition to the California Labor Commission asking to have Loeffler’s contract thrown out.)
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“We are extremely disappointed at this turn of events,” the group — comprising Daniel Seavey, Corbyn Besson, Zach Herron, Jonah Marais, and Jack Avery — wrote on Tuesday, later adding, “We have been working day and night to find a way to perform for you… and we won’t stop until we are able to do so.”
Back in September 2021, the band broke their silence about the abuse they allegedly faced at the hands of Loeffler. “He would not only live with us during the day but controlled us 24/7, setting an alarm that would go off if any door or window was opened,” the statement read. “We were not given the security code to the alarm, essentially making us hostages in our own home.”
The group also alleged that they were malnourished “to the point that some band members developed eating disorders” and that they were forced to “sneak food in and hide it in our dresser.” They wrote at the time, “We were verbally berated almost every day and alienated from our friends and families.”
Phillips similarly accused Loeffler of “nightmarish behavior” in his lawsuit at the time. Why Don’t We have publicly supported Phillips in his attempt to remove Loeffler from Signature Entertainment.
The already scheduled tour — which was set to feature the Aces and Jvke — would be in support of their LP The Good Times and the Bad Ones, which they were cleared to release last year. Last October, they surprised fans in Los Angeles with a show in support of their album’s release.
At the time, they issued a statement to People about the legal case: “We were forced to confront the ugly truth of our situation when Signature [Entertainment] filed a completely frivolous lawsuit in a pathetic attempt to intimidate and hurt us after years of abuse and mistreatment… Rest assured the evidence will be presented in court. Now, WDW is more united and determined than ever to fight for our freedom. More importantly, we are committed to making great music and showing our appreciation for our fans for their support.”
Why Don’t We formed in 2016 and released its debut album 8 Letters two years later, including two songs written by Ed Sheeran. Their 2021 LP featured production credits by Travis Barker, Skrillex, and Timbaland.
Lawyers for Why Don’t We, Loeffler, Phillips, and Signature Entertainment did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
