Paul Walker's Manager Sues Loan Company Over Unpaid Commissions

The manager for late The Fast and the Furious star Paul Walker is suing the actor's "loan out" company, alleging that he has not been paid his owed commission on Walker's earnings. Matt Luber filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, with the nine-page complaint alleging that Walker's Vagrant Inc. has failed to pay "an agreed-upon 5% management commission on Vagrant's gross earnings, stemming from Mr. Luber's management of Mr. Walker's career." The suit, brought by Luber along with Luber Roklin Entertainment, demands a jury trial on the matter and seeks unspecified damages.

According to the filing (via The Hollywood Reporter,) the lawsuit is one that gives Luber "no pleasure" due to his "enduring history and friendship" with Walker, but notes that since coming under new management, Vagrant has stopped paying commissions.

"Plaintiffs are at a total loss as to why they are now being forced to litigate given the history of friendship and mutual success," the lawsuit states. "Sadly, the new 'leadership' of Vagrant has decided to brush aside the representatives who cared most about Mr. Walker during his life, and dutifully looked out for his personal and professional interests, simply to shave a line item off their balance sheet."

The suit is seeking unspecified damages, noting that "the precise amount of the monies due and owing to Plaintiffs is unknown to Plaintiffs and cannot be ascertained without an accounting of all sums received by Defendants for the four years preceding the filing of this lawsuit." Luber does not have ready access to that information.

Walker was killed when the car in which he was a passenger struck a tree at high speed in November 2013 . The highly anticipated Furious 7 was shooting at the time with Walker's death resulting in massive reshoots to address the character's absence. Walker's Brian O'Conner had his role in the film reduced while Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody Walker served as body doubles in certain scenes, with Walker's face digitally added. That film ended with a tribute to Walker, retiring the Brian O'Conner character.

The Fast & Furious franchise has continued with the blessing of Walker's family, though the late actor's influence continues to be felt in the popular series. Vin Diesel, who plays Brian's brother-in-law Dominic Toretto and was close friends with Walker, has even said that the casting of John Cena in the upcoming F9 was inspired by Walker.

"[Cena] came to meet me at my gym right before we were shipping out to make the movie, and I put a post on Instagram that said, 'Thank you Pablo,' Diesel said earlier this year. "Because I felt like someone had brought me the right person to play Jakob."

Diesel even mentioned the incident on his Instagram in 2019.

"I know this sounds crazy but every blue moon, I feel like Pablo up there sends me someone. Another soldier for the fight for truth," Diesel said. "And today, someone came by the Toretto gym that speaks to what Pablo would have brought me. All love always."