{"id":10205,"date":"2023-05-09T08:25:04","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T08:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/?p=10205"},"modified":"2025-12-03T12:51:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T12:51:04","slug":"katelyn-mooney-yeezy-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/katelyn-mooney-yeezy-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Freelancer’s \u20b92.4 Crore Wake-Up Call: A Lesson To Take Your Contracts Seriously"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a drama that could’ve been taken straight out of a movie plot, a freelancer’s failure to sign a contract has led to a courtroom showdown with none other than Kanye West’s fashion brand, Yeezy. And this costly lesson has left the Brooklyn-based creative director, Katelyn Mooney, with a whopping \u20b92.4 crore (about $300,000) wake-up call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Yeezi-mafia-Instagram\"
Image source: Yeezy Mafia on Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mooney, a well-established freelance creative director in the fashion industry with experience working with giants like L’Oreal, Nike, and Coke, was hired by Yeezy for $110,000 to pull together a photoshoot for West’s new sunglasses line called SHDZ according to a New York Post article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mooney delivered the final digital files of the photos on Sept. 14 which, \u201cYeezy had no issues with,\u201d as per the court papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was reported that Mooney did not sign a contract with Yeezy, and communication about the project, invoices, and payments took place mainly through text messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mooney, a mother of three, was forced to take out loans and max out credit cards just to make ends meet after Yeezy’s inability to pay the invoices on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With no contract to back her up, Mooney was left with no choice but to take matters to court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’d think with all that moolah, Yeezy would’ve lawyered up, but nope \u2013 they didn’t even bother to respond to the lawsuit on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, The action was brought under freelance laws that protect independent workers. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Gerald Lebovits came to the rescue, ordering Yeezy to cough up $300,000 (about \u20b92.4 crores). That included $95,000 in damages and a hefty $205,000 in statutory damages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, freelancers & contract workers, take heed: sign a contract before you start working with any client. It doesn’t matter if they’re a big-shot fashion brand or a small-time startup \u2013 a written agreement is the only thing standing between you and a whole lot of financial drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refrens, a business operating system for freelancers, has even started offering services to help freelancers collect payments for undue invoices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takeaway:

Don’t let the excitement of working with big names cloud your judgment. Save yourself the heartache and the headlines by inking a deal before you dive into your next project. Always ask for an advance before starting a project. Divide large projects into small milestones, and only start working on the next milestone after getting paid for the previous work done – It’s a lesson worth \u20b92.4 crores, and Katelyn Mooney learned it the hard way.

Stay safe and keep hustling!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a drama that could’ve been taken straight out of a movie plot, a freelancer’s failure to sign a contract has led to a courtroom showdown with none other than Kanye West’s fashion brand, Yeezy. And this costly lesson has left the Brooklyn-based creative director, Katelyn Mooney, with a whopping \u20b92.4 crore (about $300,000) wake-up …<\/p>\n

Freelancer’s \u20b92.4 Crore Wake-Up Call: A Lesson To Take Your Contracts Seriously<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":10208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit.jpg","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit.jpg",1280,720,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-150x84.jpg",150,84,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-768x432.jpg",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit.jpg",1280,720,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit.jpg",1280,720,false],"refrens-yarpp-thumbnail-w200":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-200x112.jpg",200,112,true],"newspack-article-block-landscape-large":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-1200x720.jpg",1200,720,true],"newspack-article-block-portrait-large":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-900x720.jpg",900,720,true],"newspack-article-block-square-large":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-1200x720.jpg",1200,720,true],"newspack-article-block-landscape-medium":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-800x600.jpg",800,600,true],"newspack-article-block-portrait-medium":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-600x720.jpg",600,720,true],"newspack-article-block-square-medium":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-800x720.jpg",800,720,true],"newspack-article-block-landscape-small":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-400x300.jpg",400,300,true],"newspack-article-block-portrait-small":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-300x400.jpg",300,400,true],"newspack-article-block-square-small":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-400x400.jpg",400,400,true],"newspack-article-block-landscape-tiny":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-200x150.jpg",200,150,true],"newspack-article-block-portrait-tiny":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-150x200.jpg",150,200,true],"newspack-article-block-square-tiny":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-200x200.jpg",200,200,true],"newspack-article-block-uncropped":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-1200x675.jpg",1200,675,true],"yarpp-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-120x120.jpg",120,120,true],"web-stories-poster-portrait":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-640x720.jpg",640,720,true],"web-stories-publisher-logo":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-96x96.jpg",96,96,true],"web-stories-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Katelyn-Mooney-Kanye-West-Yeezy-Lawsuit-150x84.jpg",150,84,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Mitesh Kariya","author_link":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/author\/mitesh-kariya\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In a drama that could’ve been taken straight out of a movie plot, a freelancer’s failure to sign a contract has led to a courtroom showdown with none other than Kanye West’s fashion brand, Yeezy. And this costly lesson has left the Brooklyn-based creative director, Katelyn Mooney, with a whopping \u20b92.4 crore (about $300,000) wake-up…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10205"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10205"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26898,"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10205\/revisions\/26898"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.refrens.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}