Why Don't We

Pamela Littky

Why Don’t We’s management team has split up and has now filed opposing lawsuits to keep the other out of the business -- and the band is taking sides.

Randy Phillips and his former longtime partner David Loeffler are suing each other over the boy band’s management and control of their companies Signature Entertainment and PDM III -- which have the exclusive right to “direct and control” both the band and the solo careers of its five members, as well as of the group’s music, its masters and all its revenue streams. And, according to a lawsuit Loeffler filed on Aug. 17, the five members of Why Don’t We -- Jack Avery (Age 19), Corbyn Besson (20), Zach Herron (17), Jonah Marais (20) and Daniel Seavey (19) -- are now refusing to sign a recording agreement with Atlantic Records or perform as a group until Phillips is reinstated as the group’s sole manager.

Phillips is a longtime veteran and former AEG Live CEO who has promoted tours for Bon JoviJustin BieberKanye WestThe Rolling Stones and Prince.

Loeffler is a longtime music manager, touring executive and film producer who directed Why Dont We’s 2019 film, Unbelievable.

Why Don’t We formed in September 2016, with the band's business set up as two manager-managed LLCs, Signature Entertainment and PDM III, with ownership stakes for all five group members. The LLCs would retain the rights to manage all aspects of the group and its individual members' careers and own their creative output, while categorizing the five members as salaried employees, according to the management agreement each member signed. The LLCs also fund and exclusively manage solo artist EBEN.

The next year, Phillips relinquished his role managing one of the LLCs, Signature Entertainment, in order to accept a job running LiveStyle, the company that emerged out of EDM promoter SFX's bankruptcy. Phillips returned to manage Why Don't We in 2020 and says Loeffler “abnegated his prior agreement to allow Plaintiff to reassume the role of manager [of Signature Entertainment],” according to a lawsuit filed against Loeffler on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

50 Cent is happy to get a little shout-out from Taylor Swift. On Friday, hours after Swift released The Life of a Showgirl, the rapper shared his excitement over the pop queen mentioning his name on “Ruin the Friendship,” Track Six on her new album.

“@taylorswift shit is popping right now, she shout me out, she don’t shout you out,” 50 Cent wrote on Instagram alongside the LP’s cover. “LOL THIS IS FOR BIG TIMERS ONLY!”

He added: “Wait I’m the only shout out on the whole album.”

On the song, Swift looks back on a teenage romance and the regret of not kissing someone despite knowing it would’ve been worth the risk. “And it was not an invitation/But as the 50 Cеnt song played/Should’ve kissed you anyway,” she sings on the track looking back at prom night. “And it was not convenient, no/Would’ve been the best mistake/Should’ve kissed you anyway, hey.”

While Swift has not explained the meaning or inspiration behind the song “Ruin the Friendship,” fans have speculated that the track is about Jeffrey Lang, whom Swift has spoken about being close to while they went to Hendersonville High School. Lang died at age 21 in November 2010.

“Yesterday, I sang at the funeral of one of my best friends,” she said at the 2010 BMI Country Music Awards shortly after his death. “And he was 21, and I used to play my songs for him first. So I would like to thank Jeff Lang.”

50 Cent isn’t actually the only shout-out on the album, however. Elsewhere on the record, “Elizabeth Taylor” is titled after the glamorous Hollywood icon of the 1950s, Swift mentions Spanish soccer team Real Madrid on “Wi$h Li$t,” and the star seemingly dedicated an entire song to Charli XCX, titled “Actually Romantic.”

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