Guy Sebastian and his former manager Titus Day have reached an agreement ending their long-running Federal Court dispute, with Day acknowledging failures to account for and pass on payments owed to the singer and apologising to Sebastian and his family.
by Paul Cashmere
Guy Sebastian has confirmed that his long-running Federal Court claim against former manager Titus Day has been resolved, bringing an end to a legal and commercial dispute that began after their professional relationship ended in 2017 and continued through civil proceedings and two criminal trials.
The settlement follows Day’s public acknowledgement that payments which should have been passed to Sebastian were not transferred, and that his management company’s failure to properly account for those payments was his responsibility. The financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Sebastian said he was now prepared to put the claim aside following Day’s acknowledgement and apology.
“I’m pleased to confirm that my long-running Federal Court claim with Titus Day has now been resolved,” Sebastian said.
“My lawyer, Mark Faraday, has already shared my thoughts on the resolution, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t personally thank the people who stood by me throughout this incredibly challenging period.
“Firstly, my outstanding legal team. Richard Scruby SC, Mark Faraday, Sarah Harris and everyone at Henry William Lawyers. Thank you not only for your skill and attention to detail, but also for your loyalty, encouragement and friendship throughout this process.
“To my beautiful family, my mates and my team, especially Lauren Stamper, George Said, Jennifer Fontaine and Angela Ceberano, thank you for carrying me through it.
“Rebecca Oxenbould, the way you helped me piece everything together was invaluable. I genuinely couldn’t have done it without you.
“I know this impacted a lot of people around me, but I believed it was something I couldn’t walk away from.
“I never could have imagined the twists and turns this ordeal would take. With the accountability shown and the apology Mr Day has provided in his statement, I am prepared to put aside my claim against him, forgive, and move forward.
“As Mark said, I wish everyone involved happier times ahead.”
Sebastian and Day worked together for approximately 11 and a half years, with Day managing Sebastian through the singer’s rise from Australian Idol winner to one of Australia’s most commercially successful recording and performing artists. Their professional relationship ended in late 2017.
Sebastian subsequently pursued civil proceedings over financial matters relating to his earnings. The dispute centred on payments from performances, commercial engagements and other income that Sebastian alleged had not been properly accounted for or passed on.
The dispute also developed into a criminal prosecution. Day was arrested in July 2020 after NSW Police alleged that $1.15 million in earnings had been withheld from Sebastian between December 2013 and April 2020.
Day was convicted in 2022 on multiple embezzlement charges and sentenced to four years in prison. Those convictions were subsequently overturned on appeal and a retrial was ordered. In the second trial in 2025, Day was acquitted of four charges while the jury remained deadlocked on the majority of the allegations. The Director of Public Prosecutions later decided not to proceed with another trial.
That distinction is important. The criminal proceedings and the Federal Court dispute were separate legal matters. The criminal case concerned allegations of embezzlement, while the civil proceedings concerned the broader commercial and financial relationship between artist and manager.
In his statement announcing the settlement, Day acknowledged failures in the management of Sebastian’s income during the latter part of their relationship and after Sebastian left his management company.
“This statement relates to an ongoing legal and commercial dispute between Guy Sebastian and me, whom I managed as a performing artist for 11 and a half years. The dispute has now been going on for the better part of 9 years.
“During the time when I was managing Guy, and after it, I made a number of regrettable decisions which have had painful consequences, not only for me and my family, but also for Guy and his family.
“I acknowledge that, long before any criminal investigation, charges or trials, Guy attempted to settle with me on what I now consider to be incredibly fair terms. I would do things differently if I had my time again. At an early stage in the dispute, I should have been more reasonable and less emotional, which I have no doubt would have led to a swifter and more conciliatory outcome. I take full responsibility for this.
“Looking back on the latter half of the time when I was managing Guy’s career, I can see that I had become a poor steward of Guy’s income, including income that my company continued to receive after Guy left my management company in late 2017.
“There were many instances in which payments that should have been passed on to Guy, were not.
“My management company’s failure to properly account for and pass on those payments to Guy was the result of my mistake. I accept that my failures at that time had a serious and regrettable impact on Guy and his family, for which I apologise.”
Day also acknowledged the personal consequences of the prolonged dispute.
“There is now an agreement in place to bring the legal dispute to an end.
“I acknowledge and regret the impact that the ongoing dispute must have had on Guy and his family, including the impact of being a witness in the protracted criminal proceedings.
“I thank Guy for his willingness to discontinue the civil legal proceedings against me and allow each of us and our families to move on from the dispute.
“I look forward to moving on with my life now, and I am sure Guy and his family do as well.”
The Sebastian and Day relationship began during Sebastian’s early career and continued through a period in which the singer established himself across recorded music, touring, television and corporate performance.
Day subsequently established 6 Degrees Management, which represented Sebastian among other entertainment and sporting clients. Noise11 reported Day’s arrest in 2020 following the police investigation into alleged financial discrepancies.
The criminal proceedings brought the financial dispute into public view. At the 2022 trial, allegations included money connected to Sebastian’s performances, including his 2013 Australian support dates for Taylor Swift, corporate functions and royalties. Noise11 reported at the time that Day was convicted on charges involving more than $600,000.
The convictions did not conclude the matter. The appeal and retrial extended the legal process, with the second trial ending in 2025 without verdicts on most of the remaining allegations. The subsequent decision not to pursue a third trial removed the criminal proceedings from the equation, leaving the Federal Court dispute to be resolved between the two parties.
The new agreement now brings that remaining civil dispute to an end.
Neither Sebastian nor Day has disclosed the financial terms of the settlement. Sebastian has agreed to discontinue his Federal Court claim, while Day has issued an apology and accepted responsibility for the management company’s failure to properly account for and pass on certain payments.
For Sebastian, the resolution closes a chapter that began with the breakdown of a professional relationship and developed into years of legal proceedings. For Day, it concludes the remaining civil dispute after the criminal proceedings were separately discontinued.
Sebastian said he was ready to move forward after what he described as an ordeal he believed he could not walk away from.
With both parties now agreeing to end the Federal Court proceedings, the nine-year dispute is formally at an end.
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