Seal's Appeal a Bum Deal

by Gina Serpe Wed Feb 28, 10:09 AM ET

Los Angeles (E! Online) - This is probably not music to Seal's ears.

The Grammy-winning "Kiss from a Rose" crooner was on the losing end of an appeal filed in London's High Court in a money dispute with his former manager.

Not only was Seal ordered to fork over nearly $982,000 in back commission, but the court also ordered the singer to pay for the legal costs of his former right-hand man, a considerable sum when taking into account that litigation has been ongoing since last June.

Heidi Klum's other half was also ordered to pay nearly $345,000 of the settlement up front.

Last summer, Wadlow claimed that he was still owed payment from his work on Seal's first two eponymous, chart-topping albums, released in 1991 and 1994.

Seal, whose full name is Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, claimed that Wadlow was not owed any money, having received nearly $4 million in a settlement when the twosome parted ways more than a decade ago.

The High Court disagreed, and ruled in favor of Wadlow based on two written agreements between the two men signed in March 1995. Per the agreements, Seal agreed to pay out two albums' worth of commission to Wadlow in addition to the aggregate settlement.

Seal appealed, arguing that Wadlow had used "undue influence" to make the singer sign the contracts. He claimed that Wadlow had at one point been like a father to him, but that the relationship ended when he felt "ripped off."

Regardless, the three-justice panel Wednesday upheld the High Court's ruling and ordered the 44-year-old star to pay up.

One of the appellate judges, Justice Roger Toulson, said that the terms of the settlement were "not unreasonable or oppressive" for the singer to comply to.