Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley recently shared sexual abuse allegations against his former manager, Greig Nori, and now NME reports that both men are taking one another to court over the claims.
According to SooToday.com, documents filed earlier this month in Ontario Superior Court show that Nori is claiming libel and “breach of confidence, intrusion upon seclusion, wrongful disclosure of private facts, and placing the plaintiff in a false light.”
Additionally, Nori is seeking damages over Whibliey’s accusations, which appear in the Sum 41 singer’s memoir, Walking Disaster. The band’s ex-manager has also named Simon & Schuster LLC—the company that published Whibley’s memoir—as defendants in the case.
Sum 41 Frontman Deryck Whibley and Ex-Manager Suing One Another Over Sexual Abuse Allegations
Whibley responded to the lawsuit by countersuing Nori, claiming $3 million in damages for “defamation and placing the plaintiff in a false light,” over Nori’s accusations that Whibley lied about the nature of what transpired.
In his book, Whibley accuses Nori — who was previously the frontman for fellow Canadian pop-punk band Treble Charger — of grooming and sexually abusing him for years. He alleges that Nori was verbally abusive as well. Nori has since denied Whibley’s allegations, telling The Globe And Mail: “These are false allegations.”
Nori, who eventually retained the services of a defamation lawyer, also spoke with the Toronto Star, counter-alleging that Whibley initiated the relationship between the two of them and that they were both adults when it happened. “The accusation that I initiated the relationship is false. I did not initiate it. Whibley initiated it, aggressively,” Nori claimed. “When the relationship began Whibley was an adult, as was I.”
“The accusation that I pressured Whibley to continue the relationship is false,” Nori continued. “The accusation that I pressured Whibley to continue the relationship by accusing him of homophobia is false. Ultimately the relationship simply faded out. Consensually. Our business relationship continued.”
Whibley later responded to Nori’s comments on his social media, saying, “I stand behind every word that is in my book,” and asserting that he was willing to defend his claims in court.
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