INSTAGRAM: Connor FrantaMusic label Heard Well has filed a $1 million lawsuit against co-founder Connor Franta, alleging breach of contract and fiduciary duty.
Heard Well, co-founded by Connor Franta, is embroiled in a legal battle after fellow co-founder Jeremy Wineberg filed a lawsuit accusing the YouTube star of breaching his contractual and fiduciary duties to the company.
The countersuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges Franta failed to uphold his responsibilities as a member of the company, resulting in financial harm and operational disruption.
According to court documents obtained by Dexerto, Heard Well was established with Wineberg, Franta, and Andrew Graham as equal members. The label’s mission was to promote up-and-coming artists, leveraging Franta’s social media following to market curated playlists and the company’s music catalog.
However, Wineberg claims Franta largely disengaged from the company’s operations, failing to fulfill his obligations.
INSTAGRAM: connorfrantaAllegations against Connor Franta
The lawsuit accuses Franta of several serious violations:
- Breach of Contract: Wineberg alleges that Franta neglected his duties under the company’s operating agreement, including a promise to promote Heard Well on his social media platforms. This lack of engagement allegedly cost the company over $1 million in potential revenue.
- Breach of Fiduciary Duty: As a member of the member-managed LLC, Franta owed a duty of care, loyalty, and good faith to Heard Well. Wineberg asserts that Franta’s disengagement and disruptive behavior hindered the company’s ability to operate effectively.
- Member Expulsion: Wineberg is seeking Franta’s removal as a member of Heard Well, citing his alleged misconduct and its detrimental impact on the company’s financial and reputational standing.
The lawsuit also claims that Franta’s public association with Heard Well significantly boosted his personal brand while he contributed little to the company’s growth.
Despite promises to promote the label’s music catalog, the YouTuber allegedly failed to deliver, leaving Wineberg and Graham to shoulder the company’s day-to-day operations.
Heard Well, founded in 2015, has reportedly struggled financially, posting gross revenues of $2.75 million against expenses of $2.8 million, resulting in an overall loss of $46,713. Wineberg claims that Franta’s lack of involvement compounded these struggles.
Tensions between the co-founders escalated in April 2024 when Franta began raising allegations of misconduct against Wineberg and unilaterally “fired” him from the company, despite lacking the authority to do so. He later filed a lawsuit against his business partners in December 2024.
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The countersuit also claims the influencer refused settlement offers that would have given him full ownership of the company.
Wineberg is now seeking at least $1 million in damages, the removal of Franta as a member of Heard Well, and punitive damages for what he describes as Franta’s “oppressive and malicious” conduct.
Connor Franta’s attorney responds to countersuit
In response to the countersuit, Ben Kassis, Franta’s attorney, provided the following statement: “Connor Franta filed a lawsuit against his former business partners Jeremy Wineberg and Andrew Graham in December 2024, alleging the improper management of Heard Well, its assets, and its operations.
“We view Mr. Wineberg’s response to Mr. Franta’s lawsuit as a half-baked and contrived reaction to Mr. Franta’s claims, concocted primarily to deflect attention from the serious allegations Mr. Franta has raised about Mr. Wineberg’s management of Heard Well.
“Indeed, Mr. Franta filed the original lawsuit to seek accountability and remedies for what we have outlined as significant and repeated breaches of fiduciary responsibility primarily by Mr. Wineberg, who had been entrusted with overseeing the company’s operations and finances.
“It is disappointing to see that the approach in Mr. Wineberg’s response appears to be one more of personal vitriol than anything else. This is a business not personal dispute and we feel confident that, as all the evidence comes to light, Mr. Franta’s claims will be vindicated and his former business partners will have to take accountability for their actions.”
