Jay-Z Hired Ex-Cop to Surveil Former Perfume CEO in $18 Million Lawsuit—Here's What They Found Out

Jay-Z and his legal team hired a former cop to take photos of Parlux's ex-CEO Donald Loftus to be used as evidence in an $18 million fragrance lawsuit.

Jay-Z Captured in New York City
Getty

Image via Getty/Robert Kamau

Jay-Z Captured in New York City

Jay-Z has been embroiled in a lawsuit involving Parlux since 2016 when the fragrance brand sued him for breach of contract.

As the trial has been ongoing, former Parlux CEO Donald Loftus has been using health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to testify remotely rather than in court. To further back his claims, Loftus provided the court with two letters from doctors, which say he’s extremely apprehensive about catching the virus and has avoided being in public since the pandemic’s outset.

According to Rolling Stone, Hov’s legal team has since employed an ex-NYPD sergeant to track Loftus’ whereabouts to be used as evidence in denying his purported health issues. Court documents obtained by the outlet reportedly show that the retired cop took photos of Loftus taking part in many in-person activities, including walking throughout Manhattan maskless, riding a number of MTA buses, shopping in a grocery store, attending a parade, and eating indoors at a restaurant.

In 2016, Parlux alleged that Jay-Z went back on their deal to advertise his signature cologne called Gold Jay Z. The company also said they paid the rapper almost $2 million in royalties in a deal from 2012—and that overall, their losses from the forsaken enterprise totaled $18 million, which they are seeking in punitive damages. Hov later countersued, claiming Parlux violated obligations from the deal when it didn’t supply accounting reports, business plans, sufficient promotional resources, or royalty payments.

It’s anticipated that Jay-Z will take the stand in the trial. His lawyer Alex Spiro revealed in a filing on Friday that his team had evidence that Loftus wasn’t being sincere about his health.

“Despite Mr. Loftus and plaintiffs’ counsel’s misrepresentations otherwise, the pandemic has not proven exceptional for Mr. Loftus, who is living his life as if it is 2019,” Spiro wrote. “Covid-19 has not stopped Mr. Loftus from participating in any activities similar to, or more risky than, attending an in-person trial around other socially-distanced, masked individuals.”

Latest in Style