Rihanna Broke? Singer Was Bankrupt By The End Of 2009 According To New Court Papers

It’s hard to believe someone like Rihanna would have big financial issues to the point of being bankrupt. Well, it turns out that the Barbadian singer, whose real name is Robyn Fenty, was in deep money problems back in 2009 thanks to her accountant, or so she claims in a new lawsuit. Rihanna is suing her former accountant, Peter Gounis of Berdon LLP after she claims he advised her to make a string of bad financial decisions which left her $9 million short in a year.

According to new legal documents filed at Manhattan federal court, Rihanna was “effectively bankrupt” at the end of 2009. She says that she had $11 million in cash in January 2009 but just $2 million left at the end of the year. The 25-year-old star said Gounis recommended her to purchase a $7.5 million home in Beverly Hills because it would be “a good investment.” The mansion ended up carrying endless problems. It was filled with mold, leaks and other issues, and she ended up selling it for a $2 million loss, according to the lawsuit.

“Mr. Gounis advised Ms. Fenty that she could afford to purchase [the home] at a time when Ms. Fenty was in financial dismay,” the court documents say. “In 2009, Ms. Fenty was ‘running out of cash’ and Mr. Gounis knew this,” it continued, quoting a deposition in Rihanna’s federal breach of contract and negligence lawsuit. “Ms. Fenty’s accounts were so diminished that requested wire transfers would not go through. In fact, Ms. Fenty was effectively bankrupt at the end of 2009.”

“Mr. Gounis was fully apprised of Ms. Fenty’s financial condition, yet, nonetheless, failed to advise her that the purchase would be unwise,” the lawsuit says. “In fact, in or around March 2009, defendants advised Ms. Fenty by email that purchasing a home in Los Angeles ‘would be a good investment.’” Rihanna ended up firing the firm in 2010. “These allegations are false,” Thomas Manisero, a lawyer for Berdon LLP, told the Daily News. “Berdon acted properly concerning Ms. Fenty’s affairs.”