Ashanti sued

09-06-2006 11:30

Ashanti is being sued for millions of dollars in damages by her ex-manager.Linda Berk claims she was hired in 1999 to be Ashanti's co-manager - alongside the singer's mother, Tina Douglas - and insists she was instrumental in the R&B singer's career.Berk is claiming that she was responsible for making Ashanti an "entertainment superstar" and helped the 25-year-old win a Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B album in 2002. Berk is seeking compensation for breach of contract and says she was shocked when her contract was cut short in 2003.A spokesperson for Ashanti has denied the singer is guilty of any wrongdoing, saying: "The contract expired naturally and we didn't renew it."This is not the first time Ashanti has faced a court battle with former employees.Last year, Ashanti was ordered by a New York court to pay her former music producer, Gerald Parker, $630,000 in back royalties for songs recorded in 1996 and 1997.