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Calvin Harris’ former financial adviser is speaking out against “malicious, bad-faith” attacks on his reputation following the musician’s claims he stole $22.5 million via investments in a Hollywood real estate project.
An arbitration demand filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, on Sept. 12 and obtained by PEOPLE, alleges Thomas St. John — who worked with Harris, 41, from about 2012 to April 2025 — and his co-conspirators “systematically” took advantage of Harris, whose real name is Adam Richard Wiles.
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According to the demand, St. John and his co-conspirators created a real estate development project called “CMNTY Culture Campus,” a 460,000 sq. ft. development “in the heart of of Hollywood, California for musicians, recording engineers, entertainers, and creatives, and was to include recording studios, artists’ lounges and office spaces.”
The demand claims St. John “did not reveal his true intentions” or provide Harris with any information regarding his $22.5 million investment.
However, a representative for the adviser claims the filing is a “clear attempt to damage the reputation of Thomas St. John.”
“The facts speak for themselves: not a single dollar has been misappropriated, all investor entitlements remain intact, and the project continues to advance within the normal entitlement timeline,” the representative shared in a statement with PEOPLE on Sept. 24.
They added: “Upon completion, this landmark development is expected to approach a $1 billion valuation delivering extraordinary benefit to the Hollywood community as well as to its investors.”
The statement claims the project will “bring more than 700 residents units — both luxury apartments and much-needed affordable housing” with designated outdoor, creative and retail space.” While they admitted the entitlement process has taken longer than anticipated “due to unprecedented interest, macroeconomic conditions, and significant city red tape,” it remains within the promised schedule.
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“Calvin Harris is one of nine investors who knowingly signed invest agreements and, on the record, sought to increase his participation beyond his original commitment by doubling it,” the representative wrote. “Any suggestion to the contrary is categorically false.”
They added: “We will continue to take every necessary step to set the record straight and to ensure that these malicious, bad-faith attacks are recognized for what they are: entirely without merit.”
Harris’s lawyers claimed they have no idea where their client’s investment has gone or what it was used for, calling the project “at best, a complete boondoggle, and, at worst, a complete fraud.”
When Harris asked for information about his funds, the respondents allegedly provided him with “scant (and sometimes contradictory) information,” the arbitration demand claims.
