The owners of the Forum are suing its contracted concert booking agent, claiming the booker is trying to put the former home of the Lakers out of business.
Forum Enterprises, which is owned by Faithful Central Bible Church, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against various subsidiaries controlled by Anschutz Entertainment Group as well as AEG itself.
Anschutz Entertainment Group has exclusive booking rights to the Inglewood arena.
Lawsuit alleges that AEG has diverted events to Staples Center, which AEG developed and owns; conspired to control entertainment venues in Los Angeles and prevented the booking of events at the Forum; and breached its contractual duties in its failure to book the Forum.
Forum Enterprises is asking for at least $5 million, which it contends it lost when it AEG booked shows by Aerosmith, Tool, Cirque du Soleil, AFI and Madonna at Staples instead of the Forum.
Forum Enterprises sent AEG a letter on Tuesday saying it was terminating the agreement with the concert promoter. The agreement was expected to last another three or four years.
The complaint alleges AEG's failure to book the Forum is intentional and part of a concerted effort to put the Forum out of business.
AEG, which is working on an agreement signed in 2003, guarantees Forum Enterprises an income of $500,000 per year.
Forum Enterprises contends several of the shows at the Forum, including Madonna and Coldplay, were the result of its own activities, although AEG promoted the concerts.
Forum Enterprises attorney Johnny Darnell Griggs noted AEG has booked only two of the 12 events held at the Forum this year.
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