The Broke and the Beautiful: Dappy Edition

This week on The Broke and the Beautiful, British singer and rapper Dappy is having some tax problems, and Atari got permission to leave bankruptcy. Also, Kelly Rutherford’s custody drama is reaching new levels.

A week after British singer and rapper Dappy got kicked in the face by a horse, the former N-Dubz band member is getting hurt by something else: tax problems. According to the Huffington Post U.K., Dappy (real name Costadinos Contostavlos) appeared in London’s bankruptcy court this week to talk about the taxes (of an undisclosed amount) he owes.  Luckily, he has a reprieve: Dappy is getting until Jan. 28 to repay what he owes.

It’s certainly not an X-Box, but Atari is back in the news. This week, the iconic videogame maker got permission to exit Chapter 11 protection. As Daily Bankruptcy Review reported, Atari will leave bankruptcy still under control of French parent Atari S.A. The company, which was founded in 1972, is known for games like Pong and Asteroids, though it has shifted toward digital games in recent years. It filed for Chapter 11 in January.

Kelly Rutherford has had a tough year, what with filing for bankruptcy and scuffling with her ex-husband over the custody of her children. And this week, the “Gossip Girl” actress is dealing with more drama in the custody battle. According to TMZ, Ms. Rutherford and ex-husband Daniel Giersch are under court order to talk politely to each other. In some cases, the two are even required to adhere to a script. Ms. Rutherford filed for bankruptcy over the summer with more than $2 million in debt, most of which stemmed from child-custody battles.

The city of Detroit won eligibility for Chapter 9 protection this week. And according to Detroit music icon Derrick May, bankruptcy is just a new part of an old story. As the Guardian reported (H/T Michigan Radio), the pioneer of electronic music said Detroit’s collapse has been sensationalized but that the latest developments aren’t really big news. “Detroit has been bankrupt or broke or financially in strife since I was a kid,” he told the Guardian, adding that “I don’t remember the city never having financial problems.

“The sad part is that it doesn’t reflect the people,” said Mr. May, noting that he still lives in Detroit “because it’s my home.”

Write to Melanie Cohen at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @MelanieLisa.