Guy Sebastian has opened up about recent legal troubles involving his former manager Titus Day, who was found guilty of embezzling $600,000 from the artist in June 2022.
The 42-year-old singer discussed the high-profile case and his ongoing dispute with his neighbor over a shared fence during an interview with Stellar on Sunday.
'You can't have it both ways. There is light and shadow in every industry, and I work with the media to promote my music and my foundation, so I have to combine the good with the bad,” Sebastian told the magazine.
The Angels hitmaker, who has navigated the highs and lows of fame throughout his career, acknowledged the challenges that come with public scrutiny.
Sebastian admitted that he has learned from “making bad decisions in the past” and stressed the importance of staying quiet to avoid fueling sensational stories.
Guy Sebastian, 42, has opened up about the recent legal troubles involving his former manager, Titus Day, who was found guilty in June 2022 of embezzling $600,000 from the artist. In the photo with wife Jules
“It's better to just stay quiet and not fuel these stories by trying to clarify it. People are trying to deal with the cost of living and mortgages, and here's a celebrity making a joke. It's better to deal with it and try not to read it,” he said.
Guy's ex-manager Titus Day was sentenced last year to a minimum of two and a half years in prison for withholding some of his client's huge earnings.
Day was originally charged with 50 counts of embezzling at least $886,175 in royalties, performance fees and an ambassadorship from Guy between 2013 and 2020.
The singer discussed the high-profile case and a strangely ongoing dispute with his neighbor over a shared fence during an interview with Stellar on Sunday
'You can't have it both ways. There is light and shadow in every industry, and I work with the media to promote my music and my foundation, so I have to combine the good with the bad,” Sebastian told the weekly
A jury at Sydney's Downing Center court has found the father-of-three guilty of 34 money offenses worth a total of $624,675.
Judge Tim Gartelmann said Day's offenses were “all committed for financial gain” but it could not be established beyond reasonable doubt that the 49-year-old was motivated by greed.
“There is no evidence of remorse as the perpetrator maintains his innocence – nor is there any evidence as to the prospects of rehabilitation,” Judge Gartelmann said.
Reflecting on his past experiences, Sebastian admitted that he has learned from “making bad decisions in the past” and emphasized the importance of staying quiet to avoid fueling sensational stories
He found that Day recidivism was nevertheless unlikely.
The crime was a breach of trust, but there had been no significant organization or planning, Judge Gartelmann found. It was not known how Day spent the money.
The publicity surrounding the case and the destruction of Day's reputation had left him 'devastated' and it was unlikely that he would ever be able to recover professionally.
In the trial, two men who were once very close bumped into each other and dragged their wives, who had also been friends.
Sebastian and Day's brutal breakup also rocked the entertainment industry.
A jury at Sydney's Downing Center District Court found Titus Day (pictured May 18) guilty of 34 offenses involving money worth a total of $624,675
Sebastian made headlines in January when long-standing tensions between himself and his neighbor Phillip Hanslow, 66, culminated in a confrontation.
Sebastian accused his elderly neighbor Hanslow of threatening to kill him on January 23, amid a long-running dispute over the fence separating their property in Maroubra, in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
Hanslow was charged with stalking with intent to cause bodily harm to the musician following an altercation at the fence line of their neighboring properties in one of Maroubra's main streets.
Sebastian made headlines in January when long-standing tensions between himself and his neighbor Phillip Hanslow (pictured), 66, culminated in a confrontation
The alleged heated altercation was reportedly recorded on Sebastian's CCTV cameras.
Police issued an arrest warrant for Hanslow for Sebastian's protection, banning him from contacting The Choir singer or entering his property.
The case went to Waverley Local Court, where Mr Hanslow appeared accompanied by his terminally ill wife, Carole, who was in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank.
In April, the charges were dropped after video evidence was unavailable to solve the case the two men's conflicting versions of events.
Guy and Jules cover this week's issue of Stellar Magazine