Last week, it was reported that Daryl Hall is suing Hall & Oates bandmate John Oates, and it was later revealed the reason was that Hall protested to Oates’ attempt to sell his half of the Hall & Oates joint venture, Whole Oats Enterprises LLP. We’re gradually learning more about the case as it progresses, and now a new Associated Press report shows the two trading shots at each other in legal documents.
In a declaration filed yesterday (November 30), Hall accused Oates of committing the “ultimate partnership betrayal” with his plan to sell without Hall’s permission. Hall noted, “I am deeply troubled by the deterioration of my relationship with, and trust in, John Oates.” He also accused Oates of becoming “adversarial and aggressive instead of professional and courteous” toward him in recent years.
Hall aims to halt the transaction, writing, “While falsely contending over the last several months that the Oates Trust wanted to maintain ownership in WOE, John Oates and the Co-Trustees engaged in the ultimate partnership betrayal. They surreptitiously sought to sell half of the WOE assets without obtaining my written approval.”
In his own filing, Oates wrote, “Over the years, Daryl has consistently and publicly been adamant about being perceived as an individual rather than as part of a duo or group. Thus, he has insisted on our being known as ‘Daryl Hall and John Oates,’ rather than the more commonly known ‘Hall & Oates.’ On this point I agree. I now must act with truthfulness and make decisions that are right for myself, my family, and my artistic future.”
A court hearing in the case is scheduled for today.