A STAR of the Tina Turner musical sacked for performing with the Rolling Stones has won a bitter legal fight.
Chanel Haynes, 46, injured her wrist falling through a stage door while playing the singer in London’s West End.
Two months later in June 2022 she travelled to Milan to — despite a contract requiring her to perform only with the Tina musical.
Ms Haynes launched a county claim for compensation, saying her sprained wrist and an earlier knee injury were made worse by “extreme movement”; in the three-hour shows.
By contrast, she was fine telling the court: “That was not a factor in going on stage with 80-year-old men. There was nothing physically stressful”;.
Ms Haynes had suffered a cut to her left knee after striking it on a spotlight in December 2021.
She then fell through a trap door in April 2022, hurting her right wrist. She said she’d struggled to hold a microphone and it had affected her family life.
She hit back at accusations of dishonesty, telling the county court judge: “I swore on the bible that I was injured and I had difficulty.”;
Asked about posts showing her moving apparently without difficulty on stage after the accidents, Ms Haynes said her meant to project resilience.
She accepted ditching the musical in June 2022 so she could travel to Milan to sing Gimme Shelter with .
Show records indicate she took sick leave to do so.
Ms Haynes said: “I thought they would be more than happy I took the brand of to the .
“Why didn’t I seek permission? I didn’t think they would let me have that opportunity.”;
Tina producer Mark Rubinstein suspended her. She later posted his letter of dismissal.
Show lawyers tried to get her case thrown out.
Barrister Matthew Smith said: “This is a dishonest exaggeration of the length and effect of those injuries.”;
He accused her of bringing her claim out of greed and to get back at Mr Rubinstein.
Ms Haynes hit back: “Mr Rubinstein was not the kindest person to me but I’ve dealt with much worse.”;
District Judge Ian Greenidge found in Ms Haynes’ favour.
But he reduced her damages to £3,000, saying she should have followed doctors’ advice to take time off. The musical must pay £10,400 in legal costs.
