Storch’s Drug Abuse Claims Part Of $4 Million Lawsuit For Breach Of Contract And Fraud
Scott Storch has allegedly botched his comeback by falling off the wagon and weaseling out of a deal that was supposed to mark his return.
That’s according to Storch’s former business partners Brad and Seth Cohen, who made the claims in a fraud and breach of contract lawsuit that accuses the prolific producer of backing out of an agreement to make hits exclusively for their company, CCS Music Group.
The suit, filed New Year’s Eve 2015 in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, explained that Storch got hooked on his drug of choice – cocaine – back in 2006, and his three-year addiction helped fuel a $30 million spending spree, and resulted in an arrest for coke possession in 2012. Last June, Storch filed for bankruptcy, listing assets of $3,600 and debts of $4.4 million.
The Cohen brothers said they agreed to help Storch make a comeback by forming a company, CCS Music Group, where Storch would produce music and the Cohens would own and sell it. They inked the deal last June, and Storch agreed to transfer his music publishing rights and let the company use his name and likeness to promote the music.
The brothers said they sunk more than $1 million into the company and paid Storch’s rent and a weekly salary. The Cohens also leased a Rolls Royce Ghost for Storch and the men agreed that the car would be taken away if Storch failed a drug test.
Last month, the Cohens discovered that Storch had fallen off the wagon and was again using drugs, the suit alleged. When the men demanded the Rolls Royce back, Storch told them he wasn’t going to work with them anymore, and instead began making music for Florence Mirsky – who is also named as a defendant in the suit. Storch’s lawyer later fired off a letter to CCS Music, banning the company from accessing the music Storch made or even communicating with him.
“Based on Storch’s (a) history of drug use, including evidence of recent abuse; (b) prior squandering of monies received from providing services in the music industry; (c) overt affiliation with Mirsky that has a real threat of diverting monies actually owed to CCS; and (d) sincere concern that CCS will otherwise not be able to collect monies to repay the significant contributions provided by B. Cohen and S. Cohen, an injunction and additional remedies in equity are necessary under the circumstances,” the suit says.
Storch’s lawyer Richard Wolfe denied that Storch was back on drugs, and said the Cohens case violated federal law and he’s filed a motion to hold the Cohens in contempt of court.
“Scott is not on drugs, he’s been clean and sober for nine months,” Wolfe told BOSSIP. “The Cohen Brothers filed the lawsuit because Scott has realized that they took advantage of him in a moment of weakness and walked away.”
“They’re owed nothing,” Wolfe added, “and they will get nothing.”
The music execs want Storch back producing for them full time, more than $4 million in damages and an injunction barring Storch from working with Mirsky.
