R. Kelly Sues Jay-Z

The lawsuit was filed Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court and alleges that Jay-Z "deliberately sabotaged" the tour and Kelly is seeking $90 million in damages. The suit contends that Jay-Z sabotaged the tour out of "spite and jealousy" toward Kelly’s "superior audience draw and tour profit share." The two have been on increasingly bad terms with each other. The turmoil ultimately culminated in a bust-up on Friday when one of Jay-Z’s crew reportedly pepper-sprayed Kelly and two of his bodyguards after Kelly walked offstage mid-set at a sold out performance at Madison Square Garden, claiming he saw two audience members brandishing guns.

Kelly later admitted that he did not actually see any weapons. Kelly and his bodyguards were treated at a local hospital as Jay-Z and other stars such as Mary J. Blige and Usher continued the concert. After this latest incident Kelly was fired from the tour by the promoter for a number of other issues, including already walking off the stage during a St. Louis performance, arriving two hours late for a performance in Chicago, and concert delays in other cities. Kelly's suit alleges that Jay-Z sabotaged Kelly by using underhanded techniques such as poor onstage lighting to force him off the tour, before resorting to violence.

It is a case of he said/he said. Kelly stated the animosity existed due to the fact that he was reportedly getting a larger cut of the profits – 60 percent of the first $15 million earned to Jay-Z’s mere 40 percent. Jay-Z cited Kelly’s "lack of professionalism and unpredictable behavior" in a statement. The two have had a difficult relationship for years, first teaming up in 2002 for a joint album The Best of Both Worlds, but Jay-Z skipped the tour and promotional appearances shortly after Kelly’s infamous sex tape and subsequent kiddie porn charges surface. Kelly has pleaded innocent to the charges. Doesn’t seem as if this is the best match for touring partners.