A legal row over the circumstances of the pull out by US rap star Eminem from a planned gig at Slane Castle in 2005 has been settled at the High Court.
The settlement means the rapper will not now have to give evidence on oath before a US court about the circumstances of his withdrawal from the gig, which had been scheduled for September 17th, 2005.
The settlement of the action brought by concert promoter MCD was announced to Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan at the Commercial Court, the commercial division of the High Court, yesterday. The judge made orders, on consent of all sides, striking out the case and all court orders made within it. No details were disclosed.
Last March, Mr Justice Peter Kelly directed that a letter be issued to the US courts requesting them to direct Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers III, to give evidence to a US district court about the circumstances of his pull out from Slane. He said it appeared he was not prepared to come to Ireland or to give evidence by video link.
Refusing an additional application to direct that Eminem's testimony about his state of health would be in private, the judge said Eminem's testimony would be read into the record when it was opened in the proceedings.
The only guarantee the court could give was that the testimony would remain confidential between the parties involved until put in evidence.
In the proceedings by MCD against three British insurance companies - Liberty Syndicate Management Ltd, Brit Insurance Ltd and Markel International Ltd - the Irish promoter was seeking €1.5 million over the companies' failure to pay it over the cancellation of Eminem's planned gig as part of Eminem's "Anger Management" European tour. It was cancelled due to what his manager described as the rapper's "exhaustion".
MCD said €1.5 million was the maximum amount it could pursue the insurance companies for under the terms of an insurance contract of June 29th, 2005. Alternatively, it sought damages for alleged breach of contract.
MCD claimed it incurred losses of €2,114,313 including €260,000 for a 10 per cent share of gross profits and €915,000 profits from concessions, bars, pouring rights, merchandising and rebates.