LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Actress Jennifer Lopez filed a petition with
the California Labor Commissioner on Wednesday accusing her former manager of
violating the state's Talent Agency Act by procuring employment on her behalf.

According to the filing, Lopez is seeking millions in back commissions plus 10%
interest, and she wants to invalidate all her remaining partnerships with Benny
Medina and his Handprint Entertainment. That includes projects the company is
producing for her Columbia Pictures-based Nuyorican Prods., as well as other
outstanding interests in music, cosmetics and clothing.


The petition to determine controversy was filed in San Francisco with
California's Division of Labor Standards Enforcement by Lopez's attorney Barry
Hirsch of Armstrong Hirsch Jackoway Tyerman and Wertheimer.


The filing alleges that Medina -- acting as owner of Handprint as well as a
holding company, Laughing Water Music -- "intermingles assets of himself and his
alter egos for his convenience" and that he acted to "divert and misappropriate
monies belonging to (Lopez and Nuyorican) that Medina converted for his own use
and to which he had no entitlement."


The primary charge centers on whether Medina was acting as her agent. Because
Medina allegedly procured and negotiated work for her, the petition is
requesting that all oral and engagement contracts she had with Handprint be
voided. Those contracts saw her pay 10% of earnings from movies and television,
15% of her music, recording and publishing earnings and 10% of her earnings from
ancillary activities, including fashion and cosmetic interests.


California's Talent Agency Act requires that any person who seeks to procure
employment for a performer must be a licensed talent agent with the Labor
Commissioner. Violation of the act by an unlicensed manager can result in a
nullification of any and all contracts and a refund to the performer of any
commissions paid to the manager in a one-year period before the filing of the
petition.


Lopez is seeking "full restitution to (Lopez and Nuyorican) by repaying all
sums" the company and Medina earned on her behalf -- a sum that is estimated to
be in the eight-figure range.


In response, Medina issued the following statement: "The accusation that I
misappropriated money from Jennifer Lopez is both untrue and offensive ...
Jennifer Lopez, by making false allegations against me, is now trying to add me
to the long list of people whom she has used and discarded after she took from
them all she could get.


"It is unfortunate that Ms. Lopez is using a Labor Commission suit as a means of
mitigating her outstanding financial contractual obligations to my company and
me ... I look forward to the opportunity to have the world come to know the real
Jennifer Lopez. I will defend myself against these lies and will collect from
her every dollar for which I am owed."


According to Medina, Lopez is still a client of Handprint with a contract that
extends about a year.


The filing came as a surprise to Medina, who said that this week they had been
negotiating an end to all the existing businesses they share.


Hirsch declined to elaborate on the contents of the petition.


The filing cites several deals allegedly negotiated by Medina on behalf of
Lopez, including the starring deal for Miramax's "Shall We Dance?," a
development deal with L'Oreal Cosmetics and an appearance on NBC's "Today."


Lopez has severed ties with other representatives over the past year. In
October, she parted ways with talent agency Intl. Creative Management, which had
handled her for the previous four years. She then signed with Endeavor, where
she remained until last month. When she exited that agency, she also parted ways
with Medina as well as her publicist at Rogers & Cowan.


Lopez, who returns to theaters later this month opposite boyfriend Ben Affleck
in "Gigli," is now represented at Creative Artists Agency and the Firm.

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