"American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard has been awarded $2 million by an Alabama circuit court in a lawsuit against his former manager.
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Jefferson County, Ala., Circuit Judge Scott Vowell Thursday awarded Studdard $500,000 for his actual losses and $1.5 million in punitive damages, People reported.
Studdard said his former manager, Ronald W. Edwards, had taken money from his bank accounts, used his credit cards and even paid off a $10,000 loan, the Birmingham News reported. Studdard claimed Edwards had misappropriated more than $246,000.
The 2003 "Idol" winner has sold more than 2.2 million records, but his credit was damaged due to Edwards' activities, causing problems when he tried to buy a home, the magazine said.