A decades-long friendship between Mary J. Blige and renowned fashion stylist Misa Hylton has erupted into a $5 million legal dispute, according to court documents filed this week in New York.
Hylton, a pioneering figure in hip-hop fashion and the mother of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ eldest son, has accused the Grammy-winning R&B singer of intentionally sabotaging a business arrangement involving rapper Vado. The lawsuit, filed by Hylton and her agency M.I.S.A Management, names both Blige and her company, Beautiful Life Productions, as defendants.
At the core of the case is a management agreement between M.I.S.A and Vado, signed in July 2023, which entitled Hylton’s agency to 20 percent of the rapper’s earnings. Hylton alleges that Blige used her influence to coerce Vado into cutting ties with M.I.S.A, threatening to withhold his completed album and cancel touring plans unless he ended the partnership.
According to the suit, Blige’s alleged actions included excluding M.I.S.A representatives from meetings, events, and travel with Vado. The filing also claims that Blige’s head of security, identified as her boyfriend, tried to sign Vado independently and pressured him to do so without legal counsel. He reportedly told the rapper that staying with Hylton’s agency would jeopardize his future.
The dispute escalated following a second deal—an October 2023 recording contract between Vado and Beautiful Life Productions. Though the rapper finished an album in July 2024 and released a single with Blige titled Still Believe in Love, the project remains unreleased. The lawsuit alleges Blige privately told Vado she would not release the album or support tour plans if he remained under M.I.S.A’s management.
Hylton is seeking $5 million in damages for breach of contract, emotional distress, and unlawful interference with business relationships. The lawsuit also requests a court injunction to prevent Blige and her company from further interfering with M.I.S.A’s business or Vado’s career.
Blige has not publicly commented on the lawsuit as of Wednesday.
