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Alexandra Stan vs. Marcel Prodan

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Alexandra Stan vs. Marcel Prodan
Alexandra Stan (pictured in 2011) initiated the lawsuit against Marcel Prodan.
CourtConstanța
Full case name Alexandra Stan vs. Marcel Prodan
Decided21 December 2016
Keywords
Domestic violence

Alexandra Stan vs. Marcel Prodan[1] was a 2013 Romanian lawsuit in which Romanian singer Alexandra Stan accused her impresario Marcel Prodan and his label Maan Studio of blackmail, bodily harm, common assault and robbery. In June 2013, Stan and Prodan were travelling in a car on Autostrada Soarelui between Constanța and Valu lui Traian. Members of the Romanian traffic police found them fighting on the shoulder of the motorway; Stan's face was visibly bruised and she was taken to the hospital. She later appeared on national television, generating media attention in Romania.

According to the singer, the incident occurred after she asked Prodan for her earnings, to which he reacted violently. Several hearings in Constanța Court were scheduled as part of the lawsuit; during one, Prodan testified that he had acted in self-defense after Stan hit him in his car and threatened to commit suicide. While Stan's accusations of blackmail and bodily harm were deemed groundless by the judges in 2014, Prodan received a seven-month suspended sentence for common assault in February 2016 and was fined damages.

On appeal from both sides, the case was handed over to Constanța Court of Appeal under the case number 5946/212/2015.[2] On 21 December 2016, the court denied Stan's accusations due to the lack of evidence; however, Prodan's sentence was confirmed and his fines increased to €25,000. Music critics noted the impact of the legal case on the singer's later work. Furthermore, Stan initiated the anti-domestic violence campaign Nu bate! Mai bine cântă! (Don't hit! Better sing!) in late 2013.

Background and lawsuit initiation

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Autostrada Soarelui (pictured in 2011), where a bruised Stan was picked up by local traffic police

In 2009, Romanian singer Alexandra Stan was discovered by producers and songwriters Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi, who offered her a record deal with their label, Maan Records.[3] In 2010, Stan's breakthrough single "Mr. Saxobeat" topped the Romanian Top 100 chart for several consecutive weeks,[4] and also reached number one in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Slovakia, Switzerland and Turkey.[5][6][7]

According to spokesmen for Poliţia Judeţeană Constanţa (Constanţa County Police Department), members of Poliția Rutieră (traffic police) picked up Stan from Autostrada Soarelui (Sun Motorway) on 16 June 2013 at about 19:00 (EET).[8][9] Policemen saw the singer and Prodan fighting in a car on the shoulder of the motorway; Stan had facial bruises, which served as visible evidence of physical assault, and was subsequently taken to Spitalul Clinic Judeţean de Urgenţă Constanţa (Constanța County Emergency Hospital).[9] Shortly after, Stan also appeared on Romanian television, attracting media coverage in the country.[8]

During her hospitalization, Stan filed a lawsuit against Prodan and Maan Studio for blackmail, bodily harm, common assault and robbery at Constanța court.[10][11][12] Additionally, she insisted that a message posted on her social media saying that she would cancel concerts due to a traffic accident had been posted by Prodan and was untrue.[8] According to Stan, Prodan beat her to intimidate her about demanding her earnings from concerts, a reported total of €40,000.[10][13] Retrospectively, in a 2021 interview, the singer revealed that Prodan and Nemirschi had lied to her on numerous occasions about her concert incomes early into her career and rewarded her poorly. Additionally, she recalled tensions with the aforementioned two upon reproaching both the aforementioned unorthodox business practices and the contract she had signed with them, which Stan claims disrespected human rights and was written in a way so that Prodan and Nemirschi could have a widespread control over her.[14]

Court proceedings and outcome

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In June 2014, judges deemed Stan's accusations of blackmail groundless.[12] Furthermore, the singer's claims of bodily harm were denied in the November of the same year due to the lack of physical evidence.[15][13] In June 2015, a preliminary hearing of Stan and Prodan's case was held. According to Prodan, the incident begun in his recording studio when he told Stan that she had sung poorly. Prodan alleged that Stan did not want to leave the building and reacted aggressively to him pushing her towards the exit. When describing the events in his car, Prodan said Stan had begun kicking him; he defended himself, slapping her when she jerked the steering wheel. Prodan testified that Stan had said she wanted to commit suicide and opened the door to jump out of the car; he grabbed her hand and stopped. Conversely, Stan said Prodan threw her into his car and struck her multiple times. In shock, she jerked the wheel to get out of the car. Further hearings with witnesses were scheduled to take place in September 2015.[16]

At a follow-up hearing in December 2015, Stan demanded around €1 million in damages from Prodan. Among those who testified was Andrei Nemirschi, Prodan's collaborator at Maan Studio.[17] On 19 February 2016, Prodan received a seven-month suspended sentence for common assault and was ordered to pay Stan €193 for medical care and €10,000 in damages.[18] Dissatisfied with the outcome, both Stan and Prodan made appeals, resulting in the case being handed over to Curtea de Apel Constanța (Constanța Court of Appeal) on 9 June 2016.[1] The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support the accusations made by the singer. It was reported in late November 2016 that, while Stan was assessed €500 in court costs,[19] Prodan's sentence for assault was confirmed and his required compensation to Stan increased to €25,000.[2][20] That decision was finalized on 21 December 2016.[2]

Reception and aftermath

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In a 2021 interview, Stan said she was dissatisfied with the lawsuit's outcome since she felt that Prodan's sentence did not equal to his felony and its negative impact on her career. She also alleged that Prodan had been owing her an estimated €2 million, and expressed displeasure about the €25,000 in damages she received because they came near to the court-related costs she had to pay. Furthermore, the singer criticized Romanian's law system for treating her case with a lack of seriousness, saying the she was "fighting the system on her own".[14] Romanian commentator Mircea Toma observed that the incident was treated "in a derisory way" by Romanian media, writing that "[a] woman who is beaten is subject of irony, something sensationalist and the violence itself is not condemned". However, Toma saw the legal case as a "good opportunity for society to debate domestic violence."[8] The incident and its media coverage resulted in national discussions related to and in tightening the Romanian law concerning the restraining order in situations involving domestic violence.[14][21]

Stan received widespread support on social media.[22] The incident was noted to be the source of inspiration for the singer's follow-up work. Her song "Thanks for Leaving" (2014) reportedly discusses her recovery,[23][24] while the title of "9 Lives" (2017) alludes to the event; according to Gheorghe Chelu of Click! magazine, "no trouble has ever managed to bring [Stan] down".[25] In late 2013, the singer launched the anti-domestic violence campaign Nu bate! Mai bine cântă! (Don't hit! Better sing!),[26] and was part of Pro TV's campaign Femeia ca o pradă (The woman as a prey) in September 2019.[27]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Procesul Alexandra Stan vs. Marcel Prodan, la Curtea de Apel" [Alexandra Stan vs. Marcel Prodan, at the Court of Appeal] (in Romanian). Observator. 9 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Informații dosar – 5946/212/2015" (in Romanian). Curtea de Apel Constanța. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  3. ^ "O noua voce: Alexandra Stan" [A new singer: Alexandra Stan] (in Romanian). Urban.ro. 25 November 2009. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  4. ^ "AllMusic: Alexandra Stan". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  5. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Alexandra Stan – Mr. Saxobeat" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  6. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ". Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  7. ^ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Archived from the original on 10 January 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2016. Note: insert 201114 into search.
  8. ^ a b c d The Associated Press (18 June 2013). "Romanian singer Alexandra Stan claims manager-boyfriend beat her up after fight over money". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  9. ^ a b Legănel, Cătălin (17 June 2013). "Alexandra Stan, desfigurată după ce ar fi fost bătută de manager" [Alexandra Stan, disfigured after her alleged fight with her manager] (in Romanian). Mediafax. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Alexandra Stan a depus o plangere pentru santaj: "Nu dau inapoi". Prodan risca 6 ani de inchisoare" [Alexandra Stan filled a complaint for blackmail: "I won't go back". Prodan risks 6 years in jail] (in Romanian). Știrile Pro TV. 18 June 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  11. ^ Nicolau, Nicoleta (8 May 2014). "Cum vor sa faca bani Marcel Prodan si Andrei Nemirschi" [How Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi want to make money] (in Romanian). Ziua Constanța. Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Alexandra Stan a pierdut procesul împotriva lui Marcel Prodan" [Alexandra Stan has lost the Marcel Prodan case] (in Romanian). Antena 1. 24 June 2014. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020. Note: Play the video.
  13. ^ a b Costache, Alina (10 November 2014). "Verdict bizar: Alexandra Stan l-a agresat pe Marcel Prodan, care era "în legitimă apărare"" [Bizarre verdict: Alexandra Stan assaulted Marcel Prodan, who was in "self defense"] (in Romanian). Romania TV. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  14. ^ a b c "40 de întrebări cu Denise Rifai (31.03.2021) - Alexandra Stan | Ediție completă" [40 Questions with Denise Rifai (31.03.2021) – Alexandra Stan | Complete Episode] (in Romanian). Kanal D. 31 March 2021. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021 – via YouTube.
  15. ^ "Alexandra Stan, in stare de soc din cauza fostului impresar!" [Alexandra Stan, in shock by her former manager!]. Cancan (in Romanian). 7 November 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Prima intalnire in fata judecatorilor intre Alexandra Stan si Marcel Prodan" [First face-to-face meeting of Alexandra Stan and Marcel Prodan] (in Romanian). Radio FX. 4 June 2015. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  17. ^ "Alexandra Stan ii cere daune de un milion de euro fostului manager, Marcel Prodan" [Alexandra Stan demands damage exceeding one million euros from past-manager Marcel Prodan] (in Romanian). Știrile Pro TV. 3 December 2015. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  18. ^ Ștefan, Carmen (19 February 2016). "Impresarul Alexandrei Stan, 7 luni de închisoare cu suspendare" [Alexandra Stan's manager sentenced to 7 months of jail with suspension]. Click! (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  19. ^ "Alexandra Stan a pierdut procesul cu fostul impresar" [Alexandra Stan lost the process with her former manager]. Cotidianul (in Romanian). 25 November 2016. Archived from the original on 5 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  20. ^ "Fostul impresar al Alexandrei Stan, condamnat definitiv la inchisoare cu suspendare pentru ca a batut-o pe cantareata" [Alexandra Stan's former impresario has definitively been sentenced to prison because he had beaten the singer] (in Romanian). HotNews. 21 December 2016. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  21. ^ "Cazul Alexandra Stan deschide o discutie nationala. Ce trebuie sa stie femeile agresate despre lege" [Alexandra Stan's case opens a national discussion. What abusive women need to know about the law] (in Romanian). Pro TV. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  22. ^ Costache, Alina (18 June 2013). "Marcel Prodan, managerul bătăuş al Alexandrei Stan, amenintat cu moartea" [Marcel Prodan, Stan's manager, threaten with death] (in Romanian). Romania TV. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  23. ^ "Mesajul Alexandrei Stan la sfârşit de relaţie: "Îţi mulţumesc că ai plecat"" [Alexandra Stan's message at the end of her relationship: "Thanks for leaving".]. Gândul (in Romanian). 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  24. ^ "Alexandra Stan rupe tăcerea! Vezi ce spune vedeta despre tragedia prin care a trecut acum un an" [Alexandra Stan breaks the silence! See what the star says about the tragedy she went through a year ago]. Click! (in Romanian). 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  25. ^ Chelu, Gheorghe (14 January 2017). "Alexandra Stan are "9 vieti", ca pisicile" [Alexandra Stan has "9 lives", like the cats]. Click! (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  26. ^ "Alexandra Stan a lansat campania impotriva violentei "Nu bate! Mai bine canta!"" [Alexandra Stan has released the campaign against violence "Don't hit! Sing!"] (in Romanian). Știrile Pro TV. 13 November 2013. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  27. ^ "Famous Romanian singer Alexandra Stan speaks about abuse from former manager". Romania-Insider. 24 September 2019. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
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