Ozzy Osbourne Drops Lawsuit Against AEG After Company Ends Bulk Booking Policy

Ozzy Osbourne’s case against AEG was dismissed, Billboard reports. Earlier this year, Osbourne filed an antitrust class action lawsuit against AEG over their conditional reservation tactics. The lawsuit alleged the powerful entertainment promoter illegally tied the booking of its London and Los Angeles locations to their condition called the Staples Center pledge. The pledge prohibited performers from performing at the O2 Arena in London unless they agreed to perform at Staples Center during their tour of Los Angeles. Osbourne’s lawyers called the tactic an “illegal practice of tied selling.”

Earlier this month, AEG announcement that he had put an end to this block booking policy. “Artist promoters who want to play O2 will no longer be required to commit to playing at Staples Center,” said Jay Marciano, director of AEG Presents. The policy change prompted Osbourne’s lawyer to seek a dismissal. United States District Court Judge Dale Fischer dismissed the case with bias. “We are very happy that there is nothing more to litigate,” Osbourne lawyer Dan Wall said in a statement.

Marciano claimed that AEG’s engagement at Staples Center was a reaction to Azoff MSG Entertainment’s group booking policy between New York’s Madison Square Garden and the LA Forum. the forum.

In a September 22 statement, AEG said, “This prejudiced dismissal is a victory for AEG,” adding, “Our policy was an appropriate, legal and effective competitive response to Irving Azoff’s lobbying tactics seeking to force artists to participate in the Forum. If these tactics resurface, we will redeploy our policy as necessary. The statement also stated: “The Osbourne lawsuit was initiated by Azoff and paid for by MSG and Live Nation.”

On September 25, Ozzy Osbourne’s wife Sharon Osbourne released her own statement, criticizing AEG, her statement and her owner Philip Anschutz, whom she calls “Daddy Big Bucks”. Osbourne contradicted AEG’s “win” claim, writing “we won the deal” because Ozzy can put on his O2 show without playing at Staples Center. She also calls AEG for her “husband, bubbly BULLSHIT and [its] little pissing contest with Live Nation and MSG.

Osbourne concludes, “The only remotely interesting thing about your statement was your pitiful attempt at humor with your quote that Ozzy“ had no idea what he was biting. ”If you’re interested, Ozzy and I have something cool to bite you … our assholes … see you soon, loser! Read Sharon Osbourne’s full statement below; find AEG’s statement on Billboard.

Sharon Osbourne:

We know Mr. Anshultz [sic] (aka “Daddy Big Bucks”) lives in his billionaire bubble, but the point is, Ozzy sued AEG for the right to perform at the O2 in London. We won the deal and Ozzy’s show at the O2 went on sale on September 5th for a show next year (February 11th, 2019) – so in my world that means we won the case. Ozzy plays O2 without having to play Staples Center, that’s all that mattered to us. Since the start of this dialogue in February, it has been a battle over respect for artists and their personal preferences. It was not then and it is not now a battle between the promoters, as is described by AEG’s recent statement claiming that this is a “victory”.

To say that this “costume was initiated by Azoff and paid for by MSG and Live Nation” and that “it was concocted on the back of an artist who we believe had no idea what he was biting” , is bogus and disrespectful to Ozzy, myself and the whole crew working on this tour. No matter how different you are from Irving Azoff, don’t assume that you know who is behind the lawsuit or that you know anything about Ozzy Osbourne, because you obviously don’t know anything about Ozzy or the history of Ozzy. mine. So stop with your hubbildy, bubbuldy BULLSHIT and your little pissing contest with Live Nation and MSG.

With respect to the allegations in AEG’s statement that this “trial was a transparent public relations ploy”, if that was indeed the case, why then did AEG rush a declaration of victory? While we, throughout this process, have so far only made one statement around the initial deposit.

Ozzy’s preference was to perform at the Forum, a venue that has been part of his musical history for over 46 years. From the start, it wasn’t a battle just for Ozzy, as much as it was for other artists who were forced to abide by these rules and regulations. Let’s all not forget why you are here … the artists.

The only far interesting thing about your statement was your pitiful attempt at humor with your quote that Ozzy “had no idea what he was biting.” If you’re interested, Ozzy and I have something cool to bite you … our assholes … see you soon, loser!

This article originally appeared on Saturday, September 22 at 9:30 p.m. EST. It was last updated on Tuesday, September 25 at 1:35 p.m. EST.