Back in April 2017, four ex-Ghost members sued Tobias Forge (Papa Emeritus incarnations) over unpaid wages and withholding of royalties. The members alleged Tobias made decisions for the group without consulting the rest of them, yet also said that a partnership agreement exists between them and Tobias which put Tobias in charge of the management of the band. They claimed he had been collecting all the royalties and revenue from the band's merchandise and touring but never provided other band members with any financial statements.
Forge instead insisted that the band was not yet profitable, according to court papers at the time. The former members claimed against that statement that they did not receive any compensation in 2012, and the dire situation resulted in Forge, under pressure, to pay the members sporadic amounts while still claiming there was no money in their company bank account.
Forge took the lawsuit in stride and also said it was a result of "growing pains [in Ghost], and all of this shit has been the result of things going well, not the opposite." He also claimed at the time that "no legal partnership" existed between the ex-members and himself.
The district court of Linköping, Sweden seems to agree with Forge that the lawsuit is nothing to worry about, as they've released a 108-page document dismissing the case. The trial lasted for six days and concluded on Wednesday, October 17, with the only financial outcome being that the four ex-members have to pay Forge's legal fees.
According to Blabbermouth, Forge was paid $146,000 in legal fees paid by the ex-members. The 108-page document is not yet available to the public.
