Plushenko Sues Totmianina and Marinin

[Kasey]

http://www.allsport.ru/index.php?id=4664

Plushenko is suing Totmianina/Marinin for breaking their contract with him to perform on his skating tour this year. He claims they had a legal binding contract, and that they backed out to go to Averbukh's tour for more money. Totmianina says here http://www.allsport.ru/index.php?id=4677 that she feels the term "contract" is loosely applied, in that she implies there was no finalization of such a thing.

Quite sad that business between "friends" comes down to all this, and shame on those involved for making it public so quickly as well. My sympathy kind of lies with Marinin, who I think kind of gets used as a tool by Totmianina, and is just kind of along for the ride...but that's just my impression of it all.

 

[SailorGalaxia518]

Oh my god!!!!! LOL!!!

It's like a fricken Russian Soap Opera. Or better yet, a Barbara Walters Special.

You got to love it. A battle of Olympic Champions

 

[iloveaxel]

Watch this montage

'Money, money, money', watch this funny montage about TT&MM I found on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=popAcVLR0n0

Actually those two programs are the only ones from this pair that have ever attracted my attention. They did skate beautifully.

Poor Plushy.

 

[antmanb]

http://www.allsport.ru/index.php?id=4664

Plushenko is suing Totmianina/Marinin for breaking their contract with him to perform on his skating tour this year. He claims they had a legal binding contract, and that they backed out to go to Averbukh's tour for more money. Totmianina says here http://www.allsport.ru/index.php?id=4677 that she feels the term "contract" is loosely applied, in that she implies there was no finalization of such a thing.

Quite sad that business between "friends" comes down to all this, and shame on those involved for making it public so quickly as well. My sympathy kind of lies with Marinin, who I think kind of gets used as a tool by Totmianina, and is just kind of along for the ride...but that's just my impression of it all.

Selfishly, my sympathy lies with me who got all excited about having tickets to see the top russian stars in blackpool in the UK (about 30 miles from where i live) but inexplicably had the show cancelled a week before with no explanation. If i'd have known it was only for the T&M i'd have been happy to see the show without them.

Ant

 

[icesk8erdude4e]

Omg

This is like a soap opera, I hope that everything turns out well but that's just what happens in this world, you break a contract you get sued that's all there is to that.

 

[R.D.]

oh man, what a turn of events

 

[SailorGalaxia518]

"Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of their lives"



I'm sorry. I just had to do that

 

[Ptichka]

From http://www.allsport.ru/index.php?id=4689 - What Plushenko's agent Zakaryan says about this - moderators, may be you can move this translation up toward the top of the thread.


Evgeny Plushenko himself is the creator and the author of the “Golden Ice Stradivari” show, producers’ center Ice Vision simply rented it, taking care of all organizational issues, including contracts with participants. This includes the contracts for the participation in the show and tour “Golden Ice Stradivari” of Olympic champions Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin. They signed it personally. Honestly, the refusal of Tanya and Maxim to participate in our show and their skating in the competing “Stars on Ice” show puts me in a very awkward situation. Totmianina and Marinin are clients of the producers’ center Ice Vision, and I am still their official agent and manager. I’ve done everything I could for their financial flowering. I have many offers for them, including commercials, for the next year and a half, and I don’t even know what to do with them now. This is why I did not take any part in negotiating their participation in the “Golden Ice Stradivari” show. Tanya and Maxim received the standard contract, examined it, and asked to take something out, add something else in, and change some things. My partner discussed all the nuances with them as I took myself out of the process to avoid a conflict of interest. It was only after everything was discussed and reflected in the contract that Totmianina and Marinin signed the paperwork which is fully in compliance with Russian laws. They signed it, and then left for a different show. There is another interesting thing here. When the “Stars on Ice” organizer Ilya Averbukh wanted Totmianina and Marinin in his previous shows, he used to go through me as their agent, manager, and official representative. We would meet, discuss things, and agree on the best terms for the athletes. It was like that twice, yet now Ilya decided to go directly to them. How can I comment on this? I can’t. I don’t want to and I won’t. I can’t forbid Averbukh talking directly to the athletes even though they are my clients. Moral and ethical relationships are a dimension that’s thin like the ice, one better not step on it. Let me just bring up one example. I have a couple of clients – Valery Tyshler and Victor Mytnik, who are ice acrobats. At some point, Averbukh also went directly to them with an offer to take part in his show. They responded that they had an agent who handles such things, and directed him to me. They also let me know that they really wanted to take part in “Stars on Ice” for a number of reasons. No problem – we discussed everything, we signed a contract, and Tyshler and Mytnik are now enjoying skating with the Averbukh show. What I’m getting at is that everything can be resolved in a calm and civilized manner. I don’t know and don’t understand why Totmianina and Marinin chose a different route. We are already in Murmansk, where we will have the first performance of the “Golden Ice Stradivari” show. Tanya and Maxim are not with us. I don’t think they’ll show up for the show either, just as they weren’t at yesterday’s dress rehearsal in Petersburg. That will be a direct contract violation. I like them; I wish them all the best in sport, business, and personal life. However, I won’t leave without consequence the fact of brazen violation of a contract that they willingly signed. Please understand, the problem is not that Totmianina and Marinin chose Averbukh over us. We live in a free country, and have freedom of choice. The problem is that they broke Russian laws. Leaving this without judicial consequences sets a bad example.

 

[Ptichka]

Selfishly, my sympathy lies with me who got all excited about having tickets to see the top russian stars in blackpool in the UK (about 30 miles from where i live) but inexplicably had the show cancelled a week before with no explanation. If i'd have known it was only for the T&M i'd have been happy to see the show without them.

Ant, I seriously doubt that's the problem the show in question, "Golden Ice Stradivari", was only scheduled for a Russian tour.

 

[Zanzibar]

I don't think any of this has to do with contracts, LOL.


It has to do with personal relationships...and not those of any of the agents involved. I'd wager that someone in this little troika views themself as the scorned party...and when emotions take over, legal technicalities get thrown to the wind.

Aw, and it seems just weeks ago that Tat was doing the press conference circuit to hype the Plushenko show....funny how fast loyalties change.

 

[jennylovskt]

I don't understand if it's caused by a personal reason between Plushenko and Tatiana, what role did Marinin play? Why did he agree to break contract with Plushenko and help Tatiana? Is there any other reason?

 

[Zanzibar]

Yes, money. Ilia pays very well - he has quite a few sponsors now. Plus Ilia's tour (Ice Symphony) is scheduled to go to more cities and countries.

 

[jennylovskt]

Yes, money. Ilia pays very well - he has quite a few sponsors now. Plus Ilia's tour (Ice Symphony) is scheduled to go to more cities and countries.

Just that. I thought there would be another personal reason behind it. Then Plushenko has the right. I wish they could settle privately. Money can make people throw friendship, and make friends become enemies!

 

[amber68]

Tatiana gave an interview where she mentioned the reasons for leaving Plushy’s tour: they were afraid they’ll lose their eligibility because the tour did not have the approval of RFFS !
I like TT/MM and I became their fan long time ago but I am disappointed with the way they did it and with the reason they gave. They should fire their PR staff!
I have no clue which were the real motives and I do not question them but they have should have announced their fans officially about the change. And a conventional statement like: “We discovered that Ilia offers better opportunities to develop our career blah blah” would have been much better.
Like this, it seems kind of unethical and it looks like they betrayed a friend for money with only few days before the tour started. But who knows, maybe this is a wanted scandal to sell more tickets for both shows.