R&B singer Sean Kingston has rubbished reports that he has been struggling financially after having his car repossessed and being sued by his jeweller last week for an unpaid balance.
The Beautiful Girls star was in Dubai last weekend as he performed at Armani/Privé, in collaboration with D’Zired Productions, on Saturday night in front of a full house but it was obvious he had other things on his mind.
In papers filed in New York’s Manhattan Federal Court last week, celebrity jeweller Avi ‘Da Jeweler’ Davidov says the singer owed him for over $200,000 (Dh734,600) worth of jewellery.
Davidov is adamant that Kingston did not pay for a $150,000 custom designed ‘SK’ diamond pendant and watch combo as well as a $35,000 watch with 44 carats in diamonds.
The suit says Davidov wants $240,000 for the jewellery, and $1 million in ”punitive damages” but Kingston insists the cited figures are false.
“Listen, it’s nowhere near that much. I spent over $300,000 with this guy and I’m not gonna lie I owed like $25,000 more and it’s not like I don’t have it, it’s just that I had another lawsuit with the girl who said my security raped her,” he told tabloid! in an exclusive interview.
“I ended up winning that case but I still had legal fees to cover, so I asked him to hold on for a minute.
“I paid over $300,000 so I thought he’d be OK with waiting a couple of months for the rest of the money and can you believe after the money I spent with him, the Instagram shout-outs — I got him up from 10,000 followers to over 100,000 — I brought him Justin Bieber, I brought him Flo Rida and he just sued me.”
“The two months I asked for weren’t even up yet and it wasn’t like I was ignoring him. Every time he hit me up I hit him back right away.”
The Beat It singer told tabloid! that his expensive purchases from Davidov weren’t even the real deal.
“We later found out that he was actually screwing me over because some of the diamonds he sold me were treated and not actual diamonds, he was selling me moissanite.
“[Celebrity gossip site] TMZ said I was knowingly buying fake jewellery when they spoke to him but it was real jewellery when I bought it — if you look at my invoices, you’d see it.”
Kingston also said this latest suit hit him hard because of his close friendship with Davidov.
“I find it sad that he could do that because this is somebody I’ve known for five years. This guy had cancer and I went to visit him, we actually have — or had — that sort of relationship.
“But people don’t see the story behind, so they just see on TMZ that ‘Sean Kingston is being sued for jewellery, he’s broke’. How am I broke? TMZ won’t put up the fact that I just bought a house for $8 million, and I actually asked them to, but they’ll put up these lawsuits to sell this idea that I’m broke.
“I gave them an invitation to my new crib, I was going to personally show them around and they didn’t want to do it but as soon as something happens with my car or my jewellery, you’re interested. And it’s sad because whatever they put up, people believe.”
Away from the case, Kingston also spoke of his untitled new album which is near completion and an impressive list of features.
“I’ve got Chris Brown, Big Sean, Rick Ross — I’ve got a lot of people on there so I’m just trying to see how everything fits but I’m about 75 per cent done,” he said.
“I think it’s going to be some of my best work because I got a lot of time. Usually it’s rushed and you get the label on your back saying ‘go, go, go’ but this time I’ve had time to get creative and I write all of my music so it’s been helpful.”
Industry buddy
Fans of his 2008 collaboration with Bieber, Eenie Meenie, will be glad to know the pair have been back in the studio together.
“I have a crazy record with Justin Bieber called Don’t Hurt Me — it’s totally different to anything out, a new sound. But I’d rather bide my time and put it out at the right moment. I want my records to stick and people to pay attention when I drop something so you’re gonna have to wait for this one.”
Kingston and Bieber made for an unusual double act during their rise to superstardom and Kingston says their bond was genuine.
“We were so close growing up because we were young’uns in the industry and we had a bit of time apart so he could find himself and be him,” the 24-year-old said.
“But I feel like I raised him almost. I basically showed that kid everything and sometimes I think I showed him too much because he’s a little reckless now.
“He’s all tattooed up, that comes from my influence. But don’t get it twisted, JB has soul. His dad had him listening to Bone Thugz, Tupac from the age of five or six so this is really him. He’s not just a corny white kid coming from the [su]burbs, he has edge to him and that’s why I hung out with him at that age because I could relate to him.
“But it’s crazy though, we took a break from each other and now we’re back hanging out together. He was just at my house the other day and he had me do the ice bucket challenge and he posted it on Instagram but I had to get him to delete it because I fell off my chair and the guy was getting 300,000 likes in 10 minutes.
“He’s a cool kid though. I’ve known him since he was 15 but even now, the kid who’s 20 years old and worth over $100 million, for him to still be humble and still be the same kid when he was 15 is a blessing.”
