Reggaetón star Daddy Yankee reportedly has filed a $250 million financial mismanagement and defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife and her sister after he regained control of his music companies, El Cartel Records and Los Cangris, amid the couple’s divorce.
In the new lawsuit filed Tuesday in Puerto Rico and obtained by Billboard and the Los Angeles Times, the musician doubles down on his claim that ex-wife Mireddys González Castellanos, and her sister, Ayeicha González Castellanos, improperly withdrew $100 million from his companies’ bank accounts before the women were forced to relinquish control under a court order.
The new complaint also accuses the sisters of hiding or destroying documents related to ventures such as Yankee’s highly successful La Última Vuelta World Tour, Billboard reported. The lawsuit further alleges the women “deleted or removed essential emails related to the operation of the companies and migrated the information to devices that have not been turned over or identified,” the outlet said.
Yankee, born Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, reportedly says he found the irregularities after he ousted his ex-wife from her management role at the end of December. (The couple officially divorced last month after nearly 30 years of marriage. Yankee, who announced his retirement from the music industry in 2022, revealed his split from González in an Instagram story late last year.)
In his new filing, the “Gasolina” rapper, 49, reportedly alleges the sisters’ “disorganized, unprofessional and irresponsible handling” of his career – as well as their alleged “defamatory campaign” against him – caused him significant personal and financial harm. For instance, he claims to have found uncashed checks, including royalty payments dating back decades, that are now worthless in some cases due to expiration dates.
“This lack of diligence and administrative imprudence on the part of [the sisters] cost [Yankee] millions of dollars,” the new court documents say, according to The Times.
Yankee says the women’s alleged actions, including their “gross and stubborn negligence,” also damaged his “career, good name and personal prestige as one of the most important international Latin music figures.”
Billboard reached out to González’s attorneys for comment but did not immediately receive a response. It was González who filed the divorce petition that Yankee publicly confirmed on Dec. 2, 2024.
“With a heart full of respect and honesty, I want to share some important news about my personal life,” he wrote on Instagram. “After more than two decades of marriage and after many months of trying to save my marriage, which my wife and I share, today my lawyers respond to the divorce petition received by Mireddys.”
He said at the time that he respected González’s decision and was grateful for their time together. Along with being his wife, she was his manager and the CEO of El Cartel Records. The former spouses share three adult children: Yamilet, Jesaaelys, and Jeremy.
“This is not an easy time, but I understand that it is part of my life process,” he wrote in December. “It is time to accept and move forward, and protect my stability, my children and everything built over so many years.”
