Toni Braxton has lost the copyright to 27 of her songs after being outbid during an auction of her back catalogue.
The 45-year-old singer struck a deal to settle her bankruptcy case for approximately $150,000, spending $50,000 to reacquire personal belongings. She was also hoping to buy the rights to over two dozen of her songs through the deal. But there was one major caveat — she could be outbid.
Unfortunately for Braxton, that’s exactly what happened when a man named Ross M. Klein doubled her bid of $20,000 , and walked away with the copyrights to “How Many Ways,” “Always,” “You’re Making Me High,” and 24 others.
“Un-Break My Heart,” which became the second biggest-selling single by a female artist in the United States in 1996, was not among the copyrights Braxton lost. The song — which has become Braxton’s signature — won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1997, and remained at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for eleven weeks.
Braxton reportedly earned $754,000 from foreign performances, which took place after she filed for bankruptcy. She argued that she was legally entitled to keep the money, but a trustee said that she was technically paid before she filed for Chapter 7 protection. The two finally came to an agreement, and Braxton paid $100,000 from the performances , in addition to the $50,000 she owed for her property.
As another result of her bankruptcy troubles , Braxton lost her Georgia home after missing several payments between 2004 and 2010. Braxton paid $1.5 million for the mansion, but ended up selling it for $1.1 million . She also lost a home in Nevada.
Braxton also recently finalized her divorce from former Mint Condition keyboardist Keri Lewis. The couple married in April 2001, and have two sons together, 11-year-old Denim Cole and 10-year-old Diezel Ky, who is autistic. A rep for Braxton called the split “amicable” and said that both parents will “be actively involved in raising” their children. The couple first announced their separation in November 2009.
Are you surprised Toni Braxton lost the copyrights to 27 of her songs?
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