Maverick City Music has publicly responded to a lawsuit filed by former member Chandler Moore, describing his allegations against the group and its leadership as “wildly untrue.”
Last week, Moore announced that he had made the “bittersweet decision” to leave the Grammy-winning worship collective. Shortly after, Moore, along with his company, MoWorks LLC, had filed a lawsuit through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against Norman Gyamfi, of Insignia Assets, which oversees Maverick City Music, TRIBL Records, TRIBL Publishing Inc., and Maverick City Music Publishing.
In the suit, filed on October 1st, Moore accuses Gyamfi, who previously served as his personal manager before acquiring an ownership stake in Maverick City, of defrauding him of millions in royalties. According to the complaint, Gyamfi allegedly abused the trust Moore placed in him, engaging in “self-dealing” and “unjust enrichment.”
“Moore reposed great trust and confidence in and accepted Gyamfi’s guidance in his business and financial decisions,” the lawsuit states. “Gyamfi, however, abused his power and the trust that Moore bestowed upon him.”
Court documents reviewed by The Exclusive Press further allege that Gyamfi forged Moore’s signature, entered deals without his knowledge, failed to provide accurate accountings of resources and monies belonging to Moore, and funneled millions in royalties through a “fraudulent network” of business entities. The lawsuit also claims that the sale of Moore’s masters to the Orchard, which was part of this alleged misconduct, failed to provide accurate accountings of resources and monies belonging to Moore.
Gyamfi didn’t respond to the lawsuit, but on October 8th, Maverick City Music released a statement from Jonathan Jay (co-founder of Insignia Assets, who is also co-founder and co-owner of Maverick City Music) addressing the controversy.
“In light of the recent speculation, innuendo, and allegations made by Chandler Moore, I can’t remain silent,” Jay wrote. “Not when the truth is being distorted. I’ve spent my life building this, and I won’t let a series of lies go unchecked.”
Jay firmly denied all accusations made against himself, Gyamfi, and their affiliated companies. “To be clear: the claims being made against me, against Norman, and against our companies are categorically false,” he said. “These aren’t misunderstandings. These are calculated attempts to strong-arm a way out of agreements Chandler made freely and later breached.”
He added that the collective’s “business dealings with Chandler were forthright, generous, and above reproach.”
Moore’s departure coincides with that of another key member, gospel artist Naomi Raine, who announced on the same day that she would also be leaving Maverick City.
“After a lot of prayer and consideration, I’ve decided that now is the best time to share that I am no longer a part of Maverick City Music,” Raine, 38, wrote on Instagram.
“Being a part of Mav truly changed my life! What started as a group of folks singing in a shed has turned into something I could’ve never even imagined. Now I believe God has given me the green light to step into what He’s calling me to do individually.”
As legal proceedings move forward, the once-unified worship collective now finds itself navigating one of its most turbulent moments yet, one that could redefine the future of Maverick City Music and its founding members.
