On Tuesday, Kanye West filed a federal lawsuit with claims that several insurance companies refused to pay out $9.8 million after he canceled the remaining “Saint Pablo” tour dates. Mr. West’s “Saint Pablo” tour was managed by Very Good Touring. The company responded in the suit that the insurance companies decided to delay their decision to pay Mr. West as an an attempt to deny the claim. The claim was filed in November 2016 during the time West was hospitalized for a “debilitating medical condition” in L.A.. The insurance companies, which are entities of Lloyd’s of London, suggested that West was smoking marijuana at the time and it may have contributed to his medical condition. If so, West’s claims were deemed invalid. “The stalling is emblematic of a broader modus operandi of the insurers of never-ending postclaim underwriting, where the insurers hunt for some contrived excuse not to pay,” lawyers representing Very Good Touring and Mr. West wrote in court documents filed Tuesday in the Federal District Court for the Central District of California. Very Good Touring said it had sought a ruling from the insurance companies several times since November and let them know in a month ago that a lawsuit was pending to get the $9.8 million, plus interest. The insurance companies then promised that they would make a decision on the claims by last Thursday. Instead, the touring company claims that the insurers leaked “privileged, private and personal information” about West to the media. Kanye West’s tour insurance policy states that the insurer(s) must cover “costs and expenses and commitments” if shows had to be canceled. Very Good Touring also claims that the insurers showed signs that they didn’t want to pay out millions to West immediately after he announced that the tour was canceled.
