"High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens must answer questions about her endorsement deals from lawyers for a man suing her, claiming she owes him $5 million, a judge ruled Wednesday.Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey also ordered the 20-year-old singer/actress to pay Johnny Vieira's attorneys $1,500 in attorneys' fees for having to go to court and get the order.
Mackey's directive means Hudgens must answer written questions about endorsement deals she had with Neutrogena beauty products, Ecko clothing and accessories and Revolution Clothing and other companies.
Hudgens' lawyers maintained the questions were not relevant to the current lawsuit.
Vieira is suing the 20-year-old singer/actress for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty, and is also asking that a private settlement they agreed on when they parted be rescinded.
The music producer says that after he filed the lawsuit Aug. 11, he found out that Hudgens allegedly withheld hundreds of thousands of dollars she owes him from contracts to promote companies such as Ecko, Neutrogena and Revolution Clothing.
Vieira is also suing the starlet's father, Greg Hudgens, for defamation, saying he wrote in e-mails that Vieira was a "predator" who preyed upon young artists.
Hudgens and her father maintain Vieira received all the money he is entitled to under the private settlement agreement. They also say Hudgens has instructed a recording company to give him executive producer credit on her albums, so they want Mackey to dismiss the case. He is scheduled to hear their motion April 1.
Hudgens' attorney Melissa B. Bonfiglio has characterized the lawsuit as a contract dispute with no evidence that Hudgens did not live up to her obligations. She also says Vieira was the only one who received Greg Hudgens' e- mails.
But Vieira says in a sworn declaration that he was the one who saw something special in Hudgens when he heard her sing at age 16 with a girl group.
"I did my best to help Vanessa secure a record contract," Vieira states in a declaration opposing dismissal of his case. "I worked with her on her vocals, wrote songs and music for her, scheduled meetings with some of the biggest record labels in town and fulfilled all my obligations."
He says their agreement called for Vieira to equally share in advances, royalties and merchandising from Hudgens' career before she obtained her role in "High School Musical," but that she later turned her back on him.
"As soon as Vanessa landed a lead role in Disney's 'High School Musical,' she attempted to get rid of me," Vieira says. "Although Vanessa had no basis to terminate our agreement, I was pressured into a settlement agreement with her ... with the promise of remaining a member of her team."
Vieira further says that although his financial interest was reduced significantly after the settlement, he wanted to continue assisting Hudgens in her career.
"The main goal of each agreement was to help Vanessa become a pop star, which required both of us to work hard and contribute our creativity and talents to that goal," Vieira states.
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