Timbaland has filed a $15 million lawsuit against former managers Gary Marella and Bruce Seckendorf, accusing them of financial misconduct and failing to protect his interests. The 75-page complaint was filed Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Timothy Mosley, the producer’s legal name.
According to the lawsuit, Marella and Seckendorf took control of Mosley’s finances in 2016 after he discovered alleged misconduct by a previous management team. Mosley claims the pair instead used their authority to benefit themselves and others, concealed financial irregularities and depleted his assets.
The complaint alleges that Marella received at least $2.5 million in excessive or unauthorized commissions. It also accuses him of charging fees and personal expenses to undisclosed American Express cards, including groceries, cosmetic medical procedures and family vacations.
Mosley further claims that Marella improperly collected commissions from payments linked to Verzuz, the platform he created with Swizz Beatz. The producer says Marella was entitled to $1 million from two $5 million payments received in 2021 but took two separate payments of $750,000. He also alleges that Marella’s company collected $775,000 more than its authorized commission from the sale of his Hipgnosis catalog in 2019.
The lawsuit also accuses Marella of mishandling Beatclub, allegedly using the venture to address financial problems he had created. Seckendorf is accused of facilitating unauthorized payments, failing to disclose irregularities, not paying Mosley’s taxes and mortgage, and taking a share of sale proceeds without providing transparent accounting. Mosley says the situation began to unravel in March 2025 after he received a foreclosure notice at his home.
Marella has rejected the allegations. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, he said Mosley was responsible for his financial difficulties and had already spent his money and accumulated debt before Marella began managing him in 2017. Marella said the business generated approximately $75 million over about nine years, but claimed Mosley continued to spend beyond his means and eventually had to sell his home and move into a rental.
Mosley’s attorney, Tynia Coats, disputed that explanation in a statement sent to Rolling Stone. She said that holding managers accountable for duties they were hired and paid to perform does not amount to shifting blame. Mosley and Coats said the case concerns missing funds rather than the artist’s spending and that they would welcome a complete accounting of how the money was allegedly used.
They also alleged that financial records were falsified. One example cited in their response involves a consultant who was reportedly shown as receiving $16,000 despite allegedly being paid $165,000. They further claimed that emails were altered to suggest Mosley approved a $250,000 payment to an attorney when the amount was allegedly $100,000.
Marella and Seckendorf had not immediately responded to requests for comment. Mosley’s lawsuit seeks damages estimated to exceed $15 million and includes claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent concealment, breach of contract and civil theft. It also requests a jury trial.
Sources: Rolling Stone.