Updates In Case Between Impact Ventures, Aroluxe LLC & Others vs Audience Of One Entertainment

The following story is courtesy of PWInsider.com:

Some updates on the lawsuit TNA’s former production company, Audience of One Productions, LLC filed against TNA parent company Impact Ventures LLC, TNA minority owner Aroluxe LLC, TNA Chief Financial Officer Dean Broadhead and Ronald Dean Harris (aka Ron Harris of the Bruise Brothers) on 9/27 in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia.

The lawsuit alleges that TNA’s Dean Broadhead, Ron Harris and Aroluxe worked together to get Audience of One on board as a production company under the false pretense of using them full-time, then failed to pay them in a timely fashion for work done, set up a payment plan, then stopped paying after the initial payment was made. Audience of One is seeking $223,000 plus interest and post-judgment costs for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement on the behalf of Harris and Broadhead, torturous interference on behalf of Aroluxe and for the defendants violating Virginia code.

On 12/6, attorneys representing Harris and Aroluxe filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that the suit being filed in Virginia (where Audience of One is headquartered) meant that the Court lacked jurisdiction over either party.  Harris noted that he was not a party to the agreement between TNA and Audience of One and is a resident of Tennessee. Aroluxe’s Jason Brown also stated that the company is not headquartered in Virginia, does not do regular business in the State and does not make significant money based on their business in the State.

Harris and Aroluxe’s lawyers are also arguing that under Virginia law, Audience of One is failing to produce evidence that there was a conspiracy to defraud the company and that since there is no evidence of this, that the court cannot “allow a plaintiff to establish jurisdiction over a non-resident defendant by simply pleading bare allegations of a business conspiracy. This is not the law.”  They are also arguing that any dispute between the parties did not originate in the State of Virginia, which means that having the case heard there is meaningless.

On 12/20, Audience of One Productions responded and as you might surmise, argued against the motion to dismiss.  They argue that since they are headquartered in Virginia and that the “economic damage” of the issues with TNA paying them for their services, took place in Virginia, it is the right venue for the case to be heard.

In their responses, Harris and Aroluxe have denied there is a relationship between the two and that Harris had not been employed by Aroluxe.  Audience of One in response, filed material with the court showing that both Ron and his brother, Don Harris were featured executives on the Aroluxe website’s “team” section until after the Audience of One lawsuit was filed.  They also stated that Harris had responded to group emails using a “@aroluxe.com” email address as well as a “@TNAWrestling.com” email.  They do note that it is possible that Harris was an independent contractor working with Aroluxe, however.

A hearing on the jurisdiction matter has been set for 2/3/2017 at 10:00 AM in Richmond Courtroom 6300 before District Judge Henry E. Hudson, who is presiding over the case.

Judge Hudson had attempted to send the two sides to mediation in an attempt to work out a settlement, but all of that has been paused until a ruling is made on whether the lawsuit has been filed in the wrong venue.  If it is tossed out, one would expect Audience of One to file in Tennessee.

You can read the full story by clicking HERE

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