A decades-long friendship between two of the music industry’s most respected women is now at the center of a surprising and high-stakes legal battle. Misa Hylton, the iconic stylist and mother of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ eldest son Justin, has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Grammy-winning R&B legend Mary J. Blige, accusing her of intentionally sabotaging a business relationship with rapper Vado.
Filed in New York, the suit names both Blige and her company, Beautiful Life Productions, as defendants. According to the filing, Hylton and her agency, M.I.S.A Management alleges that Blige deliberately derailed a signed management agreement between M.I.S.A and Vado, which entitled the agency to 20 percent of the rapper’s earnings.
Hylton, who played a pivotal role in crafting Blige’s most iconic fashion moments since the early 1990s, claims that the singer used her industry power to pressure Vado into severing ties with M.I.S.A. The lawsuit alleges that Blige withheld Vado’s completed album and blocked touring opportunities unless he left Hylton’s management.
Court documents detail that the effort to isolate Vado included exclusive meetings on yachts, in hotels, and at events where M.I.S.A representatives were not invited. Further, the suit claims that Blige’s head of security—described as her boyfriend—attempted to sign Vado himself. He allegedly urged the rapper to sign a new contract without legal representation and warned that staying with M.I.S.A would cost him future opportunities.
At the heart of the dispute are two key deals: a July 25, 2023, management contract between Vado and M.I.S.A, and an October 1, 2023, recording deal between Vado and Blige’s Beautiful Life Productions. While Vado completed an album in July 2024 and had released a single with Blige titled “Still Believe in Love,” the project has reportedly been shelved indefinitely.
The suit claims that Blige explicitly stated in private messages that she would not release the album or support touring efforts “as long as he stayed with M.I.S.A.” The result, the plaintiffs argue, has left Vado in “economic servitude,” unable to generate income or pay back advances related to his record deal.
Hylton and M.I.S.A Management is seeking $5 million in damages for breach of contract, emotional distress, and unlawful interference with business relationships. The suit also requests an injunction to prevent Blige or her company from further disrupting M.I.S.A’s operations or Vado’s career.
As of now, Mary J. Blige has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.