Latest news with #GuySebastian
Courier-Mail
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Jury discharged in Guy Sebastian's manager's trial
Don't miss out on the headlines from Music. Followed categories will be added to My News. The jury has been discharged in the trial of Guy Sebastian's former manager Titus Day after they were unable to reach a verdict on more than 30 counts that he allegedly embezzled money from his pop star client. Mr Day was on Tuesday found not guilty of four counts of embezzlement after facing a long-running trial in the NSW District Court. However the jury remained deadlocked on the remaining charges and was on Wednesday discharged by Judge Alister Abadee. Mr Day stood trial in the NSW District Court where he battled allegations he embezzled more than $600,000 in royalties and performance fees from the Australian Idol winner between 2013 and 2020. Since his arrest more than five years ago, Day has denied the allegations and he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of embezzlement as a clerk or servant. He also pleaded not guilty to one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception. Guy Sebastian arrives at the Downing Centre Court. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short Titus Day arrives at the Downing Centre Court. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short On Tuesday, the jury returned verdicts finding Day not guilty of four counts of embezzlement. Those four counts related to allegations that he embezzled over $113,000 worth of Mr Sebastian's performance fees relating to a Big Bash game, a wedding, a corporate gig for Harvey Norman and an ambassadorship with Dreamworld. On Tuesday, the court was told that the jury believed they could not come to unanimous verdicts on the remaining counts, but they were encouraged to continue deliberating. Judge Alister Abadee on Tuesday afternoon gave the jury a direction that they could consider an 11-1 verdict on the outstanding 31 counts. However after another day of deliberations, the jury was on Wednesday afternoon discharged because they could not reach verdicts on those remaining counts. It was the second time Mr Day stood trial after he was in 2022 found guilty of 34 counts of embezzlement and acquitted of a further 16 embezzlement counts. He was jailed for a maximum of four years, with a non-parole period of two-and-a-half years. However after serving seven months, he was released from jail after his convictions were quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal and a re-trial was ordered. He will now appear before the court again on August 18, with the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide whether to proceed with a third trial. Titus Day and Guy Sebastian before their split. Picture: Supplied Mr Day stood trial accused of embezzling over $620,000 in performance fees and royalties by failing to remit the money to Mr Sebastian. Mr Day maintained that some accounting errors were the result of family difficulties at the time which resulted in his attention being elsewhere, and a mistaken belief that some of the money that came into his company's account for Mr Sebastian related to another client. He also held a view that the former Australian Idol winner owed him unpaid commissions, his barrister Thomas Woods told the court during the trial. Mr Woods also told the court that performance fees from the Swift tour were used to purchase shares on Mr Sebastian's behalf. 'It is not implausible that my client made a wrong assumption in relation to these counts in the indictment … That he made a mistake is not fanciful or far fetched,' Mr Woods told the jury. Titus Day (L) arrives at the JMT Downing in Sydney. Picture: Christian Gilles / NewsWire During his closing address to the jury, Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC said Mr Day had fabricated invoices to demand payment from Mr Sebastian. Mr Day denied having fabricated the documents and his barrister Thomas Woods argued the allegation could not be proven and was 'fanciful'. Mr Sebastian first worked with Day while he was with his former talent agency, 22 Management. Mr Sebastian agreed to follow him as a marquee client when Day created his own agency, 6 Degrees Management, in 2009. The court heard that Mr Sebastian was Day's long-time client and friend, however they had a bitter falling out in 2017 after Mr Sebastian raised questions over financial records. Mr Sebastian during his evidence told the court he was happy with Mr Day's management when he first moved into his stable. But tensions arose when he sought information and clarification about payments. Originally published as Jury discharged in Guy Sebastian's manager's trial
ABC News
16-07-2025
- ABC News
Jury hung majority of charges against Guy Sebastian's former manager Titus Day
The embezzlement trial of Guy Sebastian's former manager has ended in a jury acquitting Titus Day of four charges but remaining hung on the majority of allegations that he misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars in performance fees. The 52-year-old pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of embezzlement as a clerk or servant and one count of obtaining a financial advantage by deception. The NSW District Court heard allegations Mr Day embezzled $620,000 from the popular singer between 2013 and 2020. His defence team argued the Crown had failed to disprove whether any misapplication of funds was not deliberate but rather a mistake. The jury had been deliberating for more than a week when it returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on four embezzlement charges on Tuesday. Those four charges accounted for about $114,000. In a note to Judge Alister Abadee, the jurors said they felt that further deliberations would be "wasting the court's valuable time". The judge urged them to continue deliberating, with the option of returning majority 11-1 verdicts if unanimous decisions were not possible. On Wednesday the panel sent another note indicating they remained deadlocked, and the foreperson confirmed they would not reach either unanimous or majority decisions. Judge Abadee discharged the panel, thanking them for their service. During the trial, jurors were told Mr Day was being paid "very well", with the singer giving evidence he was paying about half a million dollars a year to a company called 6 Degrees for Mr Day's management. Mr Sebastian signed on when Mr Day decided to start his own agency, as a "marquee client" that could almost guarantee income. Crown Prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC said it was clear 6 Degrees was "not run well" and ended up going broke. He urged jurors to "not lose sight of the big picture" when considering the individual charges, arguing that the accused "knew that what he was doing was fraudulently misappropriating the money". "In each instance, in relation to each count, there was a clear failure and circumstances of dishonesty to render the activity fraudulent," Mr Hatfield said in his closing address. The allegations have also been at the centre of civil proceedings between the two men. Defence counsel Thomas Woods said the entire prosecution was "misconceived" and questioned why police didn't leave the two men to "battle it out in the Federal Court". The barrister said whenever Mr Day held onto money that came into the 6 Degrees account, it was because he believed he was entitled to do so. In a closing address, Mr Woods said jurors should consider the evidence through the lens that his client was running a lawful and legitimate business. "He wasn't some kind of crime boss who was intent on the ruthless exploitation of innocent people. He was not and is not some Ned Kelly-type of person." Mr Woods said a charge of fraud could not be made out by showing that a business was run in a "sloppy way" or that a person was "careless or even negligent". "You might think that this is an unfortunate case involving a dramatic falling out between friends and the breakdown of a previously mutually successful business relationship," he said. "You might think that both parties to this dispute sincerely believe that they are in the right." The civil case was put on hold until the end of the criminal proceedings. This was the second time Mr Day faced trial over embezzlement allegations. A previous jury found him guilty of 35 charges and cleared him of 13 others, but the convictions were quashed on appeal and a retrial was ordered. The case will now return to court for a mention and the DPP will need to decide whether the matter will go to another retrial. Mr Day remains on bail.
News.com.au
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Guy Sebastian's manager found not guilty of four counts jury returns partial verdict
Guy Sebastian's former manager has been found not guilty of four counts of embezzling money from the former pop star. Titus Emanuel Day stood trial in the NSW District Court where he battled allegations he embezzled more than $600,000 in royalties and performance fees from the Australian Idol winner between 2013 and 2020. Since his arrest more than five years ago, Day has denied the allegations and he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of embezzlement as a clerk or servant. He also pleaded not guilty to one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception. On Tuesday, the jury returned verdicts finding Day not guilty of four counts of embezzlement. Those four counts related to allegations that he embezzled over $113,000 worth of Mr Sebastian's performance fees relating to a Big Bash game, a wedding, a corporate gig for Harvey Norman and an ambassadorship with Dreamworld. The jury on Tuesday rejected the Crown prosecution's version of events relating to those counts. They have been told to continue to deliberate on the remaining 31 counts. Mr Day stood trial accused of embezzling over $620,000 in performance fees and royalties by failing to remit the money to Mr Sebastian. Mr Day maintained that some accounting errors were the result of family difficulties at the time which resulted in his attention being elsewhere, and a mistaken belief that some of the money that came into his company's account for Mr Sebastian related to another client. He also held a view that the former Australian Idol winner owed him unpaid commissions, his barrister Thomas Woods told the court during the trial. Mr Woods also told the court that performance fees from the Swift tour were used to purchase shares on Mr Sebastian's behalf. 'It is not implausible that my client made a wrong assumption in relation to these counts in the indictment … That he made a mistake is not fanciful or far fetched,' Mr Woods told the jury. During his closing address to the jury, Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC said Mr Day had fabricated invoices to demand payment from Mr Sebastian. Mr Day denied having fabricated the documents and his barrister Thomas Woods argued the allegation could not be proven and was 'fanciful'. Mr Sebastian first worked with Day while he was with his former talent agency, 22 Management. Mr Sebastian agreed to follow him as a marquee client when Day created his own agency, 6 Degrees Management, in 2009. The court heard that Mr Sebastian was Day's long-time client and friend, however they had a bitter falling out in 2017 after Mr Sebastian raised questions over financial records. Mr Sebastian during his evidence told the court he was happy with Mr Day's management when he first moved into his stable.
News.com.au
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
What is the best Aussie song of the 21st century?
Guy Sebastian had a front-row seat to pop's takeover of the Australian soundtrack. After decades of dominance, the decline of the rock gods in the 21st century was accelerated by the great disrupter that was Australian Idol, which launched here in 2003. Before hip hop and dance joined the #RockIsOverParty, Idol created overnight superstars including Sebastian, Shannon Noll and Jessica Mauboy. Powderfinger ushered in the new millennium with the sad boy earworm 'My Happiness' but soon Kylie Minogue and Sia, Hilltop Hoods and the Kid Laroi, and Empire of the Sun and Flume claimed cultural supremacy. To celebrate the launch of the new app, we're celebrating the people, places and events we'll never forget from the first quarter of the 21st century by asking for Australia's view. Our 25@25 series will finally put to bed the debates you've been having at the pub and around dinner tables for years – and some that are just too much fun not to include. And the old guard of guitar bands and singer songwriters were not happy about it. When asked why he thinks 'My Happiness' remains rusted onto playlists 25 years after its release, Sebastian cited the country's unflagging love for Powderfinger and Fanning's rock star cool before dropping the truth bomb that 'I don't think Bernard was a fan of me early on'. 'Everyone just loves Powderfinger … and Bernard, he just oozes coolness and he's always stood by his thoughts, he's always stood by his convictions,' he said. 'I remember having a little moment at an ARIAs (awards) and I think he just said a whole bunch of stuff about me because I'd just come off Idol - and I believe it was him and Missy (Higgins) … and I hold no grudges against them. 'Idol was like a real disrupter, and here's someone from Condobolin (Noll) and a furry-haired kid from Adelaide and their albums are just going (vroom) straight away. And then you've got people that have been grinding it out for a long time. So I understood there was reservation to embrace that.' Bernard Fanning, Ian Haug, John Collins and Darren Middleton hanging out in 2010 at the ARIA No.1 Awards. Picture: NCA. The mighty Hilltop Hoods took Aussie hip hop to the masses with The Nosebleed Section. Picture: NCA. Back to the subject at hand - the game-changing Aussie songs of the past 25 years - and Sebastian has a master songwriter's insight into what works with a record six No.1 ARIA hits including his debut single, 'Like It Like That', 'Who's That Girl' and the global hit 'Battle Scars'. He believes My Happiness is embedded in the Aussie soundtrack because it's the ultimate 'campfire song', readily played on an acoustic guitar at your backyard BBQ or house party. He considers it the Aussie Wonderwall. And that's meant as the 'ultimate compliment'. '(Bernard) has just always been a cool rock star and couple that with just really great guitar riffs and melodies, I would say My Happiness became Australia's 'Today is going to be the day that they're going to throw it back to you'. It became the campfire song,' Sebastian said. 'It's one of those songs that's structured and written so well - and yet has such deep subject matter - you want to sing it around a campfire.' Gotye and Kimbra gave us the heartbreak anthem of the quarter century. Picture: Supplied. The same year Sebastian broke records with his post-Idol debut single 'Angels Brought Me Here', another Adelaide act was on the 'hard road' to propelling Aussie hip hop from the underground to the mainstream. Hilltop Hoods was flogged on Triple J and became festival favourites off the back of the party-starting anthem 'The Nosebleed Section', which famously sampled 'People in the Front Row' by American folk singer Melanie Safka. Sebastian, who went on to work with American rap stars including Eve ('Who's That Girl'), 2Chainz ('Mama Ain't Proud) and most notably with Lupe Fiasco on 'Battle Scars', said the Hoods ticked all of the boxes with their breakout hit. 'So what was it about 'Nosebleed Section' that made it go past just hip-hop fans. Well, it's hooky as hell,' he said. 'That flute sample and how they pitched it up ... you're just in awe every time it hits. But it's the icing on the cake to this Eminem-esque kind of flow in the pre-chorus. All the way through the song, you're thinking 'Oh, this section's sick! And this section!' 'And it's something everyone can sing along to. It changed the game for hip-hop here.' Should Sebastian's Battle Scars made it onto the Best Aussie Songs list? Picture: Tim Hunter. Another song featuring a brilliantly executed sample, that conquered the world with its unique sound, and is deserving of being considered one of the Best Aussie Songs of this quarter century, is 'Somebody That I Used To Know' by Gotye and featuring Kimbra, released in 2011. The Grammy-winning anthem about how a break-up turns lovers into strangers is Sebastian's pick - besides one of his own songs, of course - to top the list. Somebody is enjoying another big moment courtesy of being sampled on 'Anxiety,' the latest hit by American rapper Doechii. ''Somebody That I Used To Know' was a worldwide smash and there's not many Aussie artists who have managed to get to No.1 in every single country - it's pretty phenomenal,' Sebastian said. 'Every element of that song was right. It was fresh in the sense it married the kind of alternative execution in the vocal but still made it pop with this ear candy sample of a work by an old Brazilian classical guitarist. Luiz Bonfa.' Cast your vote for the Best Aussie Song in our poll above and if you're more than just a music aficionado take part in the other 25@25 polls below
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
A chip off the old block! Guy Sebastian's youngest son shows off his prodigious singing talent on a family car ride
It seems that there is no shortage of talent in Guy Sebastian's household. The Aussie pop star, 43, and his wife Jules, 40, both took to Instagram on Friday to show off son Archie's prodigious singing ability. The short clip showed the 11-year-old sitting in the back seat of the family car with brother Hudson, 13. The youngster was entertaining his family with a stellar rendition of 'This Is What Heartbreak Feels Like', by US singer-songwriter JVKE, aka Jacob Lawson. As Archie effortlessly breezed through the track with an on-point, tuneful display, Guy and Hudson provided rhythmic backup. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Guy was taking on beatboxing duties as he sat behind the wheel, while Hudson kept time by banging his fist on the rear passenger door. The scene was completed when the camera panned around to reveal Jules, sitting in the passenger seat offering a pout and a peace sign. 'Car-aoki,' Jules captioned the sweet family clip. It's not the first time that Guy has shared his son's formidable voice with fans. Back in May, Guy took to Instagram to flaunt Archie's talent – not only as a singer, but a songwriter, too. Guy shared a clip which showed Archie belting out a catchy pop tune in a live studio recording. According to Guy's introduction Archie wrote the lyrics to the song, which is a rousing sporting anthem about a basketball player out to prove he is a champ on the court. Sitting cross-legged in a chair in the studio, Archie rocks out the song with stunning confidence. Guy was taking on beatboxing duties as he sat behind the wheel, while eldest son Hudson kept time by banging his fist on the rear passenger door 'A winner never said no, no, no,' Archie sings in the tune, which is called 'Maybe'. 'I know they say good things come to those that wait, why would I want good if I got great,' he continued. Guy is also seen in the clip supporting his son on drums, guitar, keyboards and backing vocals. As the song finishes, Guy can be seen letting out a proud dad laugh as he gives Archie a fist pump. Sharing the clip to his Instagram, Guy's followers filled the message board with well-wishers. 'Oh my goodness,' gushed one fan. 'Wow, he's brilliant, like father, like son,' said another follower. 'Just wow!! Both mum and dad are brilliant vocalists… what a blessing to get to enjoy this incredible voice… and the writing,' said a third fan. It comes after Guy recounted a very unusual gig in New York at the beginning of his post-Australian Idol career on The Kyle & Jackie O Show in May. He revealed that he had taken his wife Jules to a club in the Big Apple, where the couple were living at the time. He said that the club was hosting a 'jam night' and the Battle Scars hitmaker hit the stage to flaunt his talents. Guy also admitted that it was the first time the mum-of-two had heard the star in action, and the reaction he received from the audience was quite surprising. He admitted he was pelted with shoes by the audience, but not for the reasons many would think. 'I remember getting up and I sung like an Al Green song or something, and I started doing runs and they're looking at me wondering, "Who is this boy? Is he black? Is he Mexican? I don't know what he is, but that boy can sing,"' he said. 'I kid you not, ask Jules. It's a big compliment for them to throw their shoe at you and stuff. So, I'm getting shoes thrown at me.' 'And then they start throwing $20 bills at the stage. So, I would do a big run, and they get it because they all grow up in church and so they know the difficulty of it.'
