Guy Sebastian opens up on years of ‘hell’ to bring manager to justice

Pop star Guy Sebastian has opened up on his years of “hell” to bring his “evil” former manager to justice.

Pop star Guy Sebastian says he endured years of “hell” and was driven to “the darkest points in my life” during his fight to bring his now-jailed former manager Titus Day to justice for embezzling his earnings.

Day, 49, was last week jailed for at least 2½ years after he was found guilty by a NSW District Court jury of swindling Mr Sebastian of $620,000 worth of royalties and performance fees.

Day has already flagged his intention to lodge an appeal against the jury’s verdict.

In a victim impact statement tendered to the court and this week released by judge Tim Gartelmann, Mr Sebastian detailed how he had struggled with anger, resentment and trust issues since Day’s deception was uncovered.

“It’s difficult to sum up the impact that Titus Day’s crimes have had. Obviously, I’ve personally been traumatised by this ordeal, but it has impacted so many others beyond myself,” Mr Sebastian said in his two-page victim impact statement.

Guy Sebastian says he was ‘pushed to the edge’. Picture NCA NewswWire/Gaye Gerard.

“From the time I discovered missing money almost five years ago, what he has put me and my family through has been horrific. The financial toll is one thing, but the mental torture that we have had to endure to achieve justice pushed me and my wife to the edge.”

A jury earlier this year found Day guilty of 34 counts of embezzlement. He was found not guilty of a further 13 charges.

The court was told Day embezzled money from Mr Sebastian’s performances, including a tour with Taylor Swift and an ambassadorship with Dreamworld.

Day was Mr Sebastian’s manager since 2009, but the pair had a bitter falling out in 2017. Following their separation, Mr Sebastian claimed he found anomalies in his financial records.

Mr Sebastian detailed how he perceived Day to be “part of my family”; however, “cracks” began to appear.

“Every time I was seeking answers to missing monies, I was met with threats and lies,” Mr Sebastian said.

“I was told if I pursue this, that my reputation would be ruined, my family would be ruined.”

Titus Day was Mr Seabastian’s manager until a bitter falling out. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Swift.

He said Day began to leak false, negative stories to the media and spread his version of events to colleagues in the music industry.

“There are many powerful people that are being told his version of events without seeing any of the evidence and this has been spread throughout the industry I work in and has caused me great harm because it has been perceived as though I am the one at fault,” Mr Sebastian said.

Mr Sebastian said Day was “using my money to bail himself out of these poor decisions which caused him to be backed into a corner financially”.

He said his once-trusted manager had “pulled the rug out” from under his “belief systems”, and he had struggled with anger, resentment and mistrust.

“The psychological impact of this fight for justice has driven me to the point of complete depression,” Mr Sebastian said.

“I have sought therapy to deal with the broken trust, the deception, the betrayal and financial loss. I have been at the darkest points in my life during this process.”

Day and Mr Sebastian before their bitter falling out. Picture: Supplied

Mr Sebastian said after being told that his tours were unprofitable, he was forced to cut budgets and made decisions to not invest money into attempts to crack overseas markets.

“I couldn’t believe how much money Titus actually took from me,” Mr Sebastian said.

“I was working to the bone, constantly away from my family.”

He described Day as “deplorable” and “evil”, having abused his position of trust.

“This man has put me, my family and those around me through hell,” Mr Sebastian said.