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贝克汉姆起诉影星沃尔伯格的健身公司,要求赔偿1400万美元

Jasmine Li
2024-05-12

贝克汉姆并不是唯一指责该公司未履行付款义务的前品牌大使。

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贝克汉姆正在起诉沃尔伯格旗下的健身公司F45 Training,声称该公司欠他数百万美元的代言费。图片来源:PHOTO BY MIKE EHRMANN/GETTY IMAGES; PHOTO BY SHY MCGRATH/WIREIMAGE

大卫·贝克汉姆要挑战马克·沃尔伯格了,但不是在足球场上。

足球偶像贝克汉姆正在起诉演员沃尔伯格联合掌管的健身公司F45 Training,声称该公司欠他数百万美元的代言费。

法庭文件显示,贝克汉姆在2020年签署了一份担任F45品牌大使的五年协议。文件称,该公司表示每年向贝克汉姆支付150万美元,上市6个月和12个月后还会提供股票。

贝克汉姆的管理公司在法庭文件中指出,2021年7月F45上市后并未提供承诺的“巨额现金和股权”。贝克汉姆一方声称F45未能兑现的承诺为:在规定时间内将近100万股的股票转让给贝克汉姆,并增发价值500万美元的股票。

贝克汉姆声称,他第一次收到股票的时间比承诺晚了八个月。他说,当时F45股价已经下跌,导致自己损失了930万美元。贝克汉姆是迈阿密国际俱乐部(Inter Miami)的共同所有者,于2023年5月对F45提起诉讼,声称应该获得1,400多万美元的赔偿。

据福克斯商业频道(Fox Business)报道,刚开始F45想要驳回诉讼,在2023年9月遭到法官拒绝。F45的律师在法庭文件中对贝克汉姆的指控表示否认。该公司称贝克汉姆并未履行合同义务,而且存在“不正当行为”。

F45的社交媒体账号表现一切如常。目前公司正在推广“沃尔伯格周”,是专门为曾经主演《泰迪熊》(Ted)的明星沃尔伯格打造的免费试用周。

从健康到惨败

2011年,F45在澳大利亚成立,网站介绍称之后其在国际上扩展到60多个国家。F45意思是45分钟“功能性”锻炼——结合了高强度间歇训练、循环训练和功能性训练等元素。

根据贝克汉姆的诉讼,2019年沃尔伯格通过旗下投资集团收购了F45公司36%的股份,同年加入公司董事会。2023年,沃尔伯格被任命为F45首席品牌官,还经常作为品牌代言人出现在宣传材料中。

然而F45的估值快速缩水。2021年7月,公司在美国纽约证券交易所(New York Stock Exchange)上市,估值为14亿美元,随后出现了一系列问题,按照贝克汉姆的话说是“财务管理不善和宏观经济压力”,后来该公司透露,2021年和2022年共亏损3.72亿美元。

2023年8月,F45从证券交易所退市,原因是未能及时向美国证券交易委员会(Securities and Exchange Commission)提交2022年的财务报告,不符合纽约证券交易所的规定。2023年,F45的股价下跌了90%以上。

混乱的历史

贝克汉姆并不是唯一指责F45未履行付款义务的前品牌大使。

刚开始,2022年10月,贝克汉姆跟前世界第一高尔夫球手格雷格·诺曼一同起诉F45违约。后来法官命令二人分别起诉,诺曼没有继续。

2017年,在沃尔伯格参与F45业务之前,曾经是美国职业橄榄球大联盟(NFL)边路接球手的特雷尔·欧文斯是第一位起诉该健身公司的职业运动员,声称该公司欠他70万美元。

欧文斯称,自己同意以15,000美元的价格出现在一段宣传视频中,后来收到了款项。不过欧文斯称F45承诺为前25家健身房向自己额外支付25,000美元,之后每家健身房再支付5,000美元。

F45对相关指控公开否认,还表示将反诉欧文斯,但截至2024年4月,尚不清楚欧文斯案结果如何。

“我们可不是欠钱不还的公司。”当时F45的联席首席执行官告诉娱乐新闻网站TMZ。(财富中文网)

译者:冯丰

审校:夏林

大卫·贝克汉姆要挑战马克·沃尔伯格了,但不是在足球场上。

足球偶像贝克汉姆正在起诉演员沃尔伯格联合掌管的健身公司F45 Training,声称该公司欠他数百万美元的代言费。

法庭文件显示,贝克汉姆在2020年签署了一份担任F45品牌大使的五年协议。文件称,该公司表示每年向贝克汉姆支付150万美元,上市6个月和12个月后还会提供股票。

贝克汉姆的管理公司在法庭文件中指出,2021年7月F45上市后并未提供承诺的“巨额现金和股权”。贝克汉姆一方声称F45未能兑现的承诺为:在规定时间内将近100万股的股票转让给贝克汉姆,并增发价值500万美元的股票。

贝克汉姆声称,他第一次收到股票的时间比承诺晚了八个月。他说,当时F45股价已经下跌,导致自己损失了930万美元。贝克汉姆是迈阿密国际俱乐部(Inter Miami)的共同所有者,于2023年5月对F45提起诉讼,声称应该获得1,400多万美元的赔偿。

据福克斯商业频道(Fox Business)报道,刚开始F45想要驳回诉讼,在2023年9月遭到法官拒绝。F45的律师在法庭文件中对贝克汉姆的指控表示否认。该公司称贝克汉姆并未履行合同义务,而且存在“不正当行为”。

F45的社交媒体账号表现一切如常。目前公司正在推广“沃尔伯格周”,是专门为曾经主演《泰迪熊》(Ted)的明星沃尔伯格打造的免费试用周。

从健康到惨败

2011年,F45在澳大利亚成立,网站介绍称之后其在国际上扩展到60多个国家。F45意思是45分钟“功能性”锻炼——结合了高强度间歇训练、循环训练和功能性训练等元素。

根据贝克汉姆的诉讼,2019年沃尔伯格通过旗下投资集团收购了F45公司36%的股份,同年加入公司董事会。2023年,沃尔伯格被任命为F45首席品牌官,还经常作为品牌代言人出现在宣传材料中。

然而F45的估值快速缩水。2021年7月,公司在美国纽约证券交易所(New York Stock Exchange)上市,估值为14亿美元,随后出现了一系列问题,按照贝克汉姆的话说是“财务管理不善和宏观经济压力”,后来该公司透露,2021年和2022年共亏损3.72亿美元。

2023年8月,F45从证券交易所退市,原因是未能及时向美国证券交易委员会(Securities and Exchange Commission)提交2022年的财务报告,不符合纽约证券交易所的规定。2023年,F45的股价下跌了90%以上。

混乱的历史

贝克汉姆并不是唯一指责F45未履行付款义务的前品牌大使。

刚开始,2022年10月,贝克汉姆跟前世界第一高尔夫球手格雷格·诺曼一同起诉F45违约。后来法官命令二人分别起诉,诺曼没有继续。

2017年,在沃尔伯格参与F45业务之前,曾经是美国职业橄榄球大联盟(NFL)边路接球手的特雷尔·欧文斯是第一位起诉该健身公司的职业运动员,声称该公司欠他70万美元。

欧文斯称,自己同意以15,000美元的价格出现在一段宣传视频中,后来收到了款项。不过欧文斯称F45承诺为前25家健身房向自己额外支付25,000美元,之后每家健身房再支付5,000美元。

F45对相关指控公开否认,还表示将反诉欧文斯,但截至2024年4月,尚不清楚欧文斯案结果如何。

“我们可不是欠钱不还的公司。”当时F45的联席首席执行官告诉娱乐新闻网站TMZ。(财富中文网)

译者:冯丰

审校:夏林

David Beckham is taking on Mark Wahlberg—but not on the soccer pitch.

The soccer icon is suing F45 Training, a fitness company co-owned by the actor, claiming it owes him millions of dollars for an endorsement deal.

According to court filings, Beckham entered a five-year agreement in 2020 to be a brand ambassador for F45. The company said it would pay Beckham $1.5 million per year, the filings said, in addition to shares of the company six months and 12 months after it went public.

In court filings, Beckham’s management business said F45 did not pay him the promised “substantial cash and equity compensation” for his endorsement, even after its IPO in July 2021. It claims F45 failed to make good on the following promises: to transfer nearly 1 million shares to Beckham within the time period outlined, and to issue $5 million worth of additional shares.

Beckham claimed he received the initial shares eight months later than promised—by then, F45’s stock had declined, costing him $9.3 million, he said. The Inter Miami co-owner sued the fitness chain in May 2023, claiming he is entitled to more than $14 million in damages.

F45 initially sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, but a judge denied the motion in September 2023, according to Fox Business. Lawyers for F45 denied Beckham’s allegations in court filings. The company said the former soccer player did not fulfill his contractual obligations and had “unclean hands.”

On F45’s social media accounts, it’s business as usual. The company is currently promoting “Wahlberg Week,” a free-trial week of workouts created exclusively with the Ted star.

From fit to flop

F45 first launched in Australia in 2011, and has since expanded internationally to more than 60 countries, according to its website. F45—which stands for “functional” exercise for 45 minutes—combines elements of HIIT, circuit training, and functional training.

Wahlberg acquired a 36% stake in F45 in 2019 through his investment group, according to Beckham’s lawsuit, and joined the company’s board the same year. The actor was named F45’s chief brand officer in 2023, and regularly appears as the face of the brand in promotional materials.

But F45’s valuation tumbled just as quickly: It went public on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2021 with a $1.4 billion valuation, but then a series of issues, which Beckham calls “fiscal mismanagement and macroeconomic pressures,” followed—and the company later revealed that it lost a combined $372 million in 2021 and 2022.

F45 delisted from the stock exchange in August 2023, after it failed to file its 2022 financials with the Securities and Exchange Commission in time, thereby not complying with NYSE rules. F45’s share price declined by more than 90% in 2023.

A messy history

Beckham is not the only former brand ambassador to accuse F45 of not following through on payments.

Beckham initially sued F45 in October 2022 alongside former world No. 1 golfer Greg Norman, alleging breach of contract. They were later ordered by a judge to bring their cases separately, and Norman did not pursue another lawsuit.

In 2017, prior to Wahlberg’s involvement with F45, former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens was the first pro athlete to bring a lawsuit against the fitness company, claiming it owed him $700,000.

Owens’s lawsuit claims he agreed to appear in a promotional video for $15,000—and received the payment. But Owens also claimed that F45 promised to pay him an additional $25,000 per gym for the first 25 gyms opened, and an additional $5,000 for every opening that followed.

F45 publicly denied the claims and said it would countersue Owens, but as of April 2024, it is unclear what became of Owens’s lawsuit.

“We’re not a company that doesn’t pay our bills,” F45’s co-CEO told TMZ at the time.

财富中文网所刊载内容之知识产权为财富媒体知识产权有限公司及/或相关权利人专属所有或持有。未经许可,禁止进行转载、摘编、复制及建立镜像等任何使用。
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