THE BIG STORY: Like many Americans, Ariana Grande is tired of getting hacked. Unlike many Americans, she can hire a team of lawyers to go do something about it.
In a lawsuit submitted in court Monday (July 27), the star sued several unnamed John Does who she claims have repeatedly stolen and leaked unreleased music, photos and video footage, allegedly by hacking devices and accounts of her producers and photographers.
Ari says it’s not a one-off problem and that she’s faced hundreds of such breaches over the past 15 years, including the leak of 45 of her songs in 2023 alone. Her attorneys say these cyberattacks are not just an invasion of privacy, but a violation of the “sacred relationship that exists between her and her fans.”
For more details, go read our entire story here — and stick with Billboard for more updates on Grande’s case and an upcoming breakdown of other leak lawsuits filed by superstar artists.
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Other top stories this week…
— A Los Angeles judge ruled prosecutors have enough to take singer D4vd to trial for the alleged murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, following a week-long hearing that featured grisly photos, DNA evidence and testimony by an Interscope exec.
— A judge refused a request from Cher that Sonny Bono’s widow repay $1 million in legal bills the music legend racked up during their battle over royalties to “I Got You Babe” and other Sonny & Cher hits.
— The FTC settled with a ticket broker called Elite Events over claims that it violated the BOTS Act by buying more than 100,000 tickets to Tate McRae, Megan Moroney, Benson Boone and Metallica concerts.
— House Democrats launched an investigation into whether StubHub’s CEO has engaged in “market manipulation and self-dealing” by operating his own ticket reselling fund on the platform.
— A judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit claiming Capitol Christian Music Group improperly bailed at the last minute on a done-deal to buy Christian hip-hop label Reach Records.
— An ex-housekeeper to Chris Brown who was mauled by his dog claimed the star has done nothing to satisfy a $13 million judgment and must now pay her money from his ongoing stadium tour with Usher.
— Boosie Badazz was hit with a civil lawsuit from a nightclub bouncer who says the rapper smashed a hookah over his head, adding to criminal charges over the alleged incident.
— French Montana reached a settlement to resolve an unusual lawsuit claiming the star rapper stole a Richard Mille watch worth more than $1 million.
— A former longtime Nike music staffer is facing felony charges over accusations that he stole more than $1 million by paying phony fees to a music licensing consulting firm run.
— A Venezuelan composer filed a lawsuit claiming he’s owed more than $300,000 in royalties from two Willie Colón songs he penned for the late salsa legend.
— Trey Songz avoided any jail time on his arrest for allegedly punching a man at a Times Square nightclub last year.
