Exclusive: Roger Sanchez’s former manager Olga Heijns: ‘it is extremely unfortunate that it has needed to come to this point’
Earlier this week we told you that Stealth Records’ website had been taken down and replaced with a warrant calling for Roger Sanchez’s arrest. We’ve done some more investigating into the situation, speaking with a number of sources off the record and the woman named as the defendant in the case, Roger’s former manager and former director of Stealth Records, Olga Heijns.
Ms. Heijns tells Dancing Astronaut exclusively that she is a minority shareholder in Stealth and that she was its sole director until 2009. Her company, Unmanageable Artists, stopped representing Roger for bookings and management, and he subsequently fired her as the label’s director. We aren’t privy to why the two parted ways, but according to Ms. Heijns, it is “incorrect that I sued [Roger] to start with.” She claims that Roger and Stealth Records first sued her and her companies, forcing her to countersue, explaining the plaintiff and defendant designations on the warrant posted online.
This legal conflict dates back to November 1st 2009, when Unmanageable Artists officially discontinued representing Sanchez, and “the legal battle started some time after that.” Ms. Heijns claims that Sanchez owes her $400,000 USD plus 25,000euros (plus interest), for a “compounded amount offsetting various claims against each other.” She plans to “use all legal avenues available to me to collect the money that is owed to me and my companies.” When asked about what happens to Roger, she says that “the arrest warrant is self explanatory to that end.” Interestingly, Sanchez wrote on Twitter that he is “NOT” going to jail and that he is continuing business as usual. This is his only public comment on the situation.
“The arrest warrant is self explanatory…” – Olga Heijns
Heijns says it is “extremely unfortunate that it has needed to come to this point,” but stresses the need to end a working relationship “in a fair and professional matter.” It’s important to note that this is essentially a civil dispute between Roger and Olga, and the label has just gotten caught in the unfortunate crossfire. She says that taking it to court is the “last step in that process” and that it has “a tremendous cost to everyone involved both financially and otherwise.” She says that Roger must pay what has been mandated by the courts, and that he will have to buy her out of Stealth “at a fair price.” Still, she maintains that “when it does come down to a legal battle I will certainly defend my rights in exactly the same manner as I represent my artists, vigorously, passionately and relentlessly.”
“…when it does come down to a legal battle I will certainly defend my rights in exactly the same manner as I represent my artists, vigorously, passionately and relentlessly.” – Olga Heijns
Roger Sanchez had no comment at this time, but we will keep you updated when he is ready to share his side of the story.
Categories: Music