Remember Cheryl “Chezza” Cole? No? Well, that’s maybe not too surprising. The British singer and erstwhile Simon Cowell protégé signed on as one of the U.S. X Factor’s judges last year after a surprisingly successful run on the British version of the show. However, she only survived a few weeks of pre-taped auditions before bad outfits and an incomprehensible Geordie accent saw her cut loose.
Though some British tabloids reported last week that Cole and Cowell held a meeting to “bury the hatchet” and talk over some new projects, it seems that their chat actually did not go that well: Chezza filed a $2.3 million lawsuit against X Factor’s production company, Blue Orbit, yesterday. The suit claims her “pay-or-play contract” covered two seasons, which means she’s owed the $2 million she’d have banked for judging season two. Cole also asks for miscellaneous expenses promised — for her wardrobe, L.A. rent, and transatlantic travel — and any “further relief” the court considers reasonable. In other words, compensation for the mental anguish she’s suffered having lost out on the chance to become new judge Britney’s new BFF. Fight for that love, Cheryl.
