Well isn’t this ironic? The very man put in charge of keeping her money safe, business manager Jonathon Schwartz, has allegedly had one hand in her pocket, robbing Alanis Morissette of at least $4.7 million.
The Canadian singer has filed a complaint with the Los Angeles County Superior Court against Schwartz and GSO Business Management for breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, fraud and negligence.
These alleged acts came to be known during a review of financial records by a new business manager Morissette had recently hired. The lawsuit states that records show cash had been taken from the singer’s accounts and transferred to Jonathan Schwartz of GSO Business Management at least 116 times, for a total of $4.7 million, between 2010-2014.
Schwartz had failed to deliver requested documentation for the transfers and finally gave the reasoning that the money had been invested by Morissette in “one or more illegal marijuana ‘grow’ businesses,” which she denied.
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The suit also states that “defendants concealed these distributions from Morissette, convincing her that she was in tremendous financial shape when, in fact, they were draining her assets and leading her on a road that could have led to financial ruin.”
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“When she asked him if she was over budget, he would insist that things were ‘fine,’ that she had ‘nothing to worry about,’ and that she and her future grandkids were ‘set for life,’” The complaint also claims Schwartz convinced the singer to turn down performance offers. “His reasoning was always that she didn’t need to work so hard, because she was so financially secure.”
Schwartz also finds himself the target of another lawsuit, this one by GSO itself. The company filed its own suit, asking that Schwartz be expelled as a member of the LLC and forced to repay the $558,000 cash advance the company had given him. Apparently, he “was burning through money to sustain a lavish lifestyle” according to the GSO suit. Investigations paint a picture of $75,000 gambling debts, a $50,000 luxury trip to Bora Bora and a substantial amount of unpaid taxes.
This all coming on the heels of Alanis celebrating the 20-year anniversary of her breakout, impactful album Jagged Little Pill. The “You Outta Know” artist in collaboration with Rhino released a four-disc collector’s edition last fall that includes a re-mastered edition of the LP, a previously unreleased full live concert in London, an acoustic version of the full LP from 2005 and an unreleased disc of demos recorded between 1994-1998.
