English pop star Ellie Goulding has filed a lawsuit against her former management firm Tap Management, claiming the company concealed a significant financial conflict of interest. According to the suit, Goulding was unaware that Live Nation owned a controlling stake in Tap Management throughout her time as a client between 2018 and 2025. Live Nation acquired a majority stake in the management company in 2015 and completed a full purchase in 2019.
The legal action alleges that Tap Management executives deliberately pushed Goulding toward working with Live Nation and its subsidiaries without disclosing the ownership connection. During her tenure with the firm, Goulding was directed to engage Live Nation for services including concert promotion, merchandise deals, and documentary production. The lawsuit contends this arrangement violated the management company’s fundamental duty to secure the most advantageous business terms for their client, as the executives had personal financial interests in directing work to Live Nation.
Goulding, who released albums including “Brightest Blue” and “Higher Than Heaven” while under Tap Management, parted ways with the company in December 2025. She is seeking unspecified damages and compensation through the legal proceedings. The defendants named in the suit include Tap Management founders Benedict Mawson and Edward Millett, along with Live Nation’s parent company HNOE, though Live Nation itself is not listed as a defendant.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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