Fyre Festival trustee sues artists, agencies, models, more for millions in fees

A Fyre Festival trustee wants their money back, and is suing nearly anyone associated with the festival to get it.  

Those being sued include Blink-182, Kendall Jenner and model Emily Ratajkowski. The trustee is demanding each return the fees paid for playing or promoting the doomed 2017 festival. 

The lawsuits argue that because the fees were paid as part of founder Billy McFarland’s investment scam, the transfers should be voided. 

The suit claims that Jenner and Ratajkowski — who are being sued for their respective £225,308 ($275,000) and £245,772 ($300,000) fees issued in exchange for promotional Instagram posts — demonstrated a “clear lack of good faith.” It wasn’t clear their promotional Instagram posts were sponsored, and when they didn’t end up attending Fyre, neither informed their followers of their decision. Blink-182, who are being sued for their £409,637 ($500,000) fee, also pulled out of the festival at the last minute. 

That’s not all. Even the talent agencies that represent the Fyre Festival artists are being sued. Creative Artists Agency, representing Blink-182, Claptone, Bedouin and Lee Burridge, is being held liable for £479,258 ($585,000). And ICM Partners, representing Lil Yachty, Migos and Rae Sremmurd, is being sued for  £286,755 ($350,000). United Talent Agency is being held liable for a £73,737 ($90,000) fee paid to Skepta, and Nue Agency over a £598,005 ($730,000) fee paid to Pusha T, Desiigner and Tyga.

The Fyre Festival director has also been sued, joining the festival’s catering company, a ticketing firm and a yacht company. 

By now the story of Fyre is a familiar one, having been told across documentaries on Netflix and Hulu. Seth Rogan is currently working on a Fyre Festival spoof movie. And Billy McFarland, the serial fraudster behind the event, is currently serving a six-year sentence in prison for fraud. He also claims there will be a second edition of Fyre Festival.  

McFarland launched the event in the Bahamas with the help of Ja Rule. However, earlier this year a court concluded that Ja Rule would not be held responsible for his part in the event.