Andra Day Wins Early Ruling as Dispute With Former Manager Moves Forward
A Los Angeles judge has allowed singer-songwriter Andra Day to proceed with a key claim in her ongoing legal battle against former manager Jeffrey Evans, marking a significant early development in a case centered on alleged financial misconduct.
In a ruling issued this week, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Andrew Esbenshade denied Evans’ attempt to dismiss Day’s “civil theft” claim, one of the central allegations in her broader breach of contract lawsuit. The decision means the claim will move forward to further litigation, where it will be subject to deeper examination in court.
Day’s lawsuit, filed in October 2025, accuses Evans and his management companies, BassLine Management and Buskin Entertainment, of improperly withholding hundreds of thousands of dollars from her earnings. Specifically, she alleges that $575,486 from her publishing and master recording revenue was wrongfully retained.
The court found that Day had “sufficiently” outlined the elements required to pursue a civil theft claim at this stage, rejecting Evans’ argument that the allegation should be dismissed early in the process.
In addition, the judge declined to block Day from seeking enhanced damages. Under California law, civil theft claims can allow for triple damages if proven. Evans had argued that Day waited too long to pursue that level of recovery, but the court found no basis to limit her claim on those grounds.
A notable factor in the judge’s decision was Evans’ own prior acknowledgment regarding the disputed funds. In earlier filings, Evans admitted that his companies had “mistakenly withheld” the $575,486 and agreed to return the money.
While Evans framed the issue as an error rather than intentional wrongdoing, the court determined that, at this preliminary stage, Day’s claim that he intended to permanently deprive her of the funds was plausible enough to proceed.
The legal fight is not one-sided. Evans filed his own lawsuit against Day one day before her complaint, asserting that he is owed unpaid commissions tied to work created during their professional relationship.
According to Evans, a revised agreement in 2018 entitles him to ongoing commissions from certain recordings and compositions. He claims that a later publishing deal Day signed with Kobalt generated more than $1 million in revenue and that he is owed a 40 percent share. His filing alleges that Day has failed to pay commissions and royalties totaling more than $850,000.
Day, however, disputes those claims, arguing that her management agreement with Evans expired in June 2023 and that the terms of their contracts were “exploitative.” Her lawsuit further alleges that Evans mishandled her finances over an extended period, failing to properly account for income and expenses.
In her complaint, Day paints a stark picture of the consequences she says resulted from the alleged misconduct. She claims that Evans’ actions left her in severe financial distress, including mounting debt and the risk of eviction.
The lawsuit alleges that funds were not properly segregated into dedicated accounts and that management expenses were improperly charged to her. It also accuses Evans of prioritizing personal spending over his fiduciary responsibilities as a manager.
Day further claims that the alleged misconduct only came to light after new legal representation began reviewing her financial records in 2023.
The two lawsuits have now been consolidated and will proceed under the same judge in Los Angeles. A trial-setting conference is scheduled for June 25, where the court will begin outlining the timeline for the next phases of the case.
