Revealed: Sports Agent Jonathan Barnett’s Three-year Legal Battle With John Regis And Jennifer Stoute

A high-court declare that had pitted nan starring sports supplier Jonathan Barnett against his erstwhile business partners, Olympic medallists John Regis and Jennifer Stoute, was withdrawn pursuing an bonzer three-year ineligible battle.

A business of which Barnett was a member, nan sports agency Stellar Athletics LLP, pursued a declare against Regis and Stoute for £1.2m aft they near nan business successful 2021. It was settled by nan genitor company, CAA Stellar, successful April 2024, soon aft Barnett himself resigned from nan company.

Speaking astir nan matter for nan first time, Stoute described nan lawsuit arsenic “three years of torture”.

Stellar Athletics LLP, successful tribunal documents signed by Barnett, claimed it was owed £952,000 by Regis and Stoute for money they were alleged to person taken successful excess of their profit stock to screen costs incurred while moving for nan institution for 20 years, positive astir £300,000 successful damages aft nan brace near and group up a rival agency, Astra Partners.

The Guardian tin uncover nan colony was reached aft Regis and Stoute recovered dozens of racist, sexist and homophobic matter messages allegedly sent by different figures successful athletics to a telephone number registered to Barnett. There is nary proposal Barnett sent aliases supported specified messages himself.

The messages included dozens of violative messages apparently sent to Barnett featuring expected jokes astir Africans, Muslims, Mexicans, Chinese and cheery people, arsenic good arsenic 1 astir woman beating.

Contacted by nan Guardian, neither Barnett nor CAA Stellar commented connected immoderate facet of nan lawsuit aliases nan reasons for nan settlement.

Partners

Barnett founded nan Stellar Group sports agency pinch David Manesseh successful nan 1990s. It grew into 1 of nan biggest agencies successful nan world, chiefly successful football. Barnett personally negotiated Gareth Bale’s then-world-record £85m transportation from Tottenham to Real Madrid successful 2013, and represented a big of different footballers including Ashley Cole, Ledley King and much precocious Jack Grealish and Ivan Toney.

Jonathan Barnett successful 2014. Stellar Athletics claimed it was owed £952,000 by John Regis and Jennifer Stoute aft they near nan partnership. Photograph: Peter Luckhurst/Shutterstock

Regis, 1 of Britain’s astir well-known sprinters, won a metallic badge successful nan 4x100m relay astatine nan 1988 Seoul Olympics and was awarded nan MBE successful 1994. Stoute won a bronze badge successful nan 4x400m relay astatine nan 1992 Barcelona Olympics and later became wide known arsenic Rebel successful nan ITV show Gladiators. Regis and Stoute person 2 children together but are nary longer a couple.

Regis and Stoute went into business pinch Barnett pursuing their status from athletics. Stellar Athletics Limited was formed successful 2001, but initially operated without contracts aliases general written agreements betwixt nan parties. The agency represented galore of nan biggest names successful British way and field, including Dwain Chambers, Phillips Idowu, Eilish McColgan and Laura Muir.

In their defence connection Regis and Stoute said location was “an statement reached successful 2000 that connected nan eventual waste of nan larger Stellar business, some Mr Regis and Ms Stoute would person a proportionality of nan proceeds of specified a sale, albeit that nary proportionality was expressly agreed.”

In 2011 a constricted liability business was incorporated, Stellar Athletics LLP, pinch Regis and Stoute retaining their 30% and 20% stakes from nan erstwhile institution respectively.

Stellar contended that this cemented nan statement that Regis and Stoute were entitled to early profits from Stellar Athletics. Regis and Stoute opportunity they were entitled to proceeds from an eventual waste of nan larger Stellar business.

Sale and split

In 2020 Barnett’s Stellar Group was sold to American intermezo agency International Creative Management (ICM) for $100m (£76.5m). ICM is simply a Los Angeles-based movie and intermezo agency who astatine nan clip represented A-listers including Samuel L Jackson, Jerry Seinfeld and Ellen DeGeneres, and NFL and NBA stars. Barnett stayed connected aft nan waste arsenic executive president of a caller company, ICM Stellar Sports.

Regis and Stoute resigned from Stellar Athletics successful June 2021 and took each nan company’s 90 athletes to their caller company, Astra Partners.

In September 2021 ICM Stellar Sports announced a merger pinch different Hollywood talent group, Creative Artists Agency (CAA). A woody worthy a reported $750m (£573m) was finalised successful 2022, to create a caller company, CAA Stellar. Barnett was appointed executive president of CAA Stellar.

In October 2021 Regis and Stoute were sued by Stellar Athletics who accused them of colluding to return nan LLP’s business.

Jonathan Barnett, John Regis and Jennifer Stoute were partners successful a business that attracted 90 athletes. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images

According to tribunal documents, Regis and Stoute were accused of “taking each of nan employees, consultants, clients and different assets of nan LLP [Stellar Athletics] to a caller vehicle” and “coordinating and cautiously readying their resignations and nan taking of nan LLP’s business.”

They were besides accused of “breach of contract, breach of nan obligations, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of assurance and conspiracy”.

In addition, Stellar Athletics claimed they were owed £952,000 for money taken from Stellar Group during nan erstwhile 10 years complete and supra nan agreed profit share. Stellar Athletics said that amounted to £247,000 by Regis and £705,000 by Stoute.

Stellar accepted that nan position of nan LLP (limited liability partnership) permitted Regis and Stoute to overdraw beyond their mixed 50% profit share, including money for their children’s schoolhouse fees, but claimed specified sums were repayable.

Regis and Stoute insist they were entitled to tie costs arsenic salary, and to screen operating expenses. Their first net erstwhile nan business was group up were astir £1,000 per period each, but accrued complete time, according to tribunal documents.

Regis and Stoute’s defence refers to erstwhile occasions erstwhile Stellar’s in-house accountant Peter Lazard “would irregularly mention to Mr Regis and Ms Stoute that they owed money to nan company, including towards 2010 that they owed £900,000 aliases thereabouts”. Despite these conversations nary repayment was made.

“The ground for nan alleged indebtedness was unclear to Mr Regis and Ms Stoute, was inconsistent pinch their conversations pinch Mr Barnett, and was ne'er explained to them by anyone,” Regis and Stoute’s defence stated.

“No demands were made of them and alternatively they continued to beryllium permitted to return nan profits of Stellar Athletics Limited arsenic their income and to salary schoolhouse fees arsenic antecedently agreed. In nan event, Mr Regis and Ms Stoute understand that nan alleged debts were ‘written off’, albeit it is disputed that they were existent debts owed and owing by Mr Regis and Ms Stoute.

Jennifer Stoute played Rebel successful ITV’s celebrated show Gladiators. Photograph: ITV/Shutterstock

It was besides claimed that Barnett apologised to Stoute for demanding nan repayments and his wide curen of nan mates successful December 2020.

“Knowing that he was successful nan incorrect successful position of really he had treated Mr Regis and Ms Stoute, Mr Barnett apologised,” their connection says. “The defendants will rely, amongst different matters, connected a WhatsApp connection from Mr Barnett to Ms Stoute of 6 December 2020, successful which Mr Barnett said, ‘I apologised. Either he [ie Mr Regis] has to judge my apology and we tin get connected pinch everything arsenic earlier aliases he tin return complete stellar stock and spell connected his own’.”

In reply, Stellar Athletics said Barnett apologised not because he felt he was successful nan incorrect but because he realised that Regis was upset and wanted to move beyond that.

Regis and Stoute declare they entered nan business pinch Barnett connected nan knowing that he was readying to waste nan business, and that they would person a stock of nan proceeds.

“In 2000 aliases thereabouts, it was agreed by Mr Barnett that connected nan eventual waste of nan larger Stellar business by Mr Barnett and Mr Manasseh, Mr Regis and Ms Stoute would person a proportionality of nan proceeds of specified a sale,” their defence said. “It was connected this ground that they agreed to activity for Mr Barnett.”

Regis and Stoute declare they and different Stellar unit were not told astir nan waste to ICM until aft it had taken place, and that they were not offered a stock of nan proceeds, according to tribunal documents.

“Mr Regis and Ms Stoute were yet told astir nan waste astatine a ample zoom gathering successful October 2020, astatine which respective dozens of participants were present,” their defence states.

“Mr Regis was angry astir nan breach of spot connected nan portion of nan ICM Members successful going up pinch nan waste down his and Ms Stoute’s back. The events elaborate above, including nan nonaccomplishment to honour nan 2000 statement by which they were to person benefits, nan secretive mode successful which nan waste was carried out, and/or nan disrespectful mode successful which nan waste was belatedly announced to Mr Regis and Ms Stoute, caused Mr Regis and Ms Stoute concerns that they were not being treated fairly.

“The ICM Members were alert of Mr Regis and Ms Stoute’s concerns. In each nan circumstances, nan narration of spot and assurance came to an extremity successful aliases astir November 2020.”

In response, Stellar Athletics denied that Regis and Stoute were entitled to a proportionality of proceeds from nan sale. Their reply to Regis and Stoute’s defences states: “there was nary chat of nan ‘eventual sale’ of nan ‘larger Stellar business.’”

Stellar Athletics besides said that Stellar labor were informed astir nan ICM woody astatine nan first opportunity, arsenic “the waste of shares by Mr Barnett and Mr Manasseh was a commercially delicate and confidential matter”.

Following nan announcement of nan sale, Regis and Stoute began making plans to time off nan company, citing a breach of trust. They resigned to shape Astra Partners successful 2021 connected nan eve of nan Tokyo Olympics.

Left to right: Derek Redmond, Roger Black, John Regis and Kriss Akabusi of Great Britain aft winning world title 4x400m golden successful Tokyo successful 1991. Photograph: Gray Mortimore/Getty

Before they resigned Regis and Stoute had been asked to judge a little percent of early profits, which was declined, a constituent accepted by Stellar’s ineligible squad successful tribunal documents.

“Among different proposals, including a continued 50-50 profit sharing, immoderate of nan options which were discussed were connected nan ground of a 70-30 split,” it states. “It is accepted that nary statement was reached.”

‘We conscionable wanted it to spell away’

Attempts to scope a negotiated colony grounded to consequence successful an agreement. The lawsuit appeared to beryllium heading to proceedings successful 2024 until nan chance find of racist and sexist worldly connected an aged telephone registered to Barnett, which was successful nan possession of Stoute.

Barnett appears to person been nan recipient of nan messages, which were sent by 2 people, 1 a well-known sports fig and nan different a shot scout.

Regis and Stoute’s lawyers, Primas Law, wrote to Stellar’s ineligible squad astir nan matter messages successful January 2024, saying they were considering disclosing them to nan tribunal arsenic applicable to nan case.

In February 2024 Barnett resigned from his position arsenic executive president of CAA Stellar. The lawsuit was taken complete by Los Angeles-based lawyers engaged by CAA, who successful April 2024 agreed to retreat nan declare against Regis and Stoute. Both parties walked distant from nan lawsuit without admitting liability, and bore their ain costs.

The statement did not require either Stoute aliases Regis to motion a non-disclosure agreement, enabling them to talk their acquisition of nan case.

“For america it was 3 years of torture,” Stoute said. “When I first heard astir nan waste I thought it was amazing. I was happy for Jonathan, and I thought it was going to beryllium amazing. I thought I would get my autobus pass!

“But of course, nary of that happened. And past each of a sudden, we went from expecting a payout, to allegedly owing this tremendous magnitude of money. Instead of Jonathan giving america immoderate benignant of payback for nan waste of nan company, they made it look for illustration we owed them. They sold nan institution [Stellar Group] for $100m [to ICM] and didn’t springiness america moreover springiness america a tissue. It was zero, not moreover anything.”

Regis said: “Most of Stellar’s agents weren’t willing successful athletics, but Jonathan loved nan sport, and appreciated its worth to nan business, peculiarly successful America. The first hook from Jonathan was that nan institution was going to beryllium sold astatine immoderate point, and erstwhile it did we would beryllium entitled to profits from nan sale, but that didn’t happen. And we ended up getting sued by Stellar.

“We entered negotiations pinch them successful nan extremity to spot if we could travel to immoderate type of settlement, but that didn’t look to beryllium possible. We conscionable wanted it to spell distant because it was costing america truthful overmuch money successful ineligible fees, and were relieved erstwhile CAA withdrew nan claim.”