Ariana Grande lawsuit targets alleged hackers over leaked music
Ariana Grande filed a California lawsuit against unnamed people she says stole and leaked unreleased music, photos and videos.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Ariana Grande lawsuit hackers claims are now in court, with the singer taking legal action in California against unnamed people she says broke into digital accounts tied to her creative circle, TMZ reported.
According to TMZ, Grande filed the lawsuit Monday against several unidentified individuals. She alleges those people hacked accounts belonging to photographers and producers she had worked with, then took and released material that was not meant for the public.
The material described in the suit includes unreleased music, private photographs and videos, TMZ reported. The defendants have not been named, and TMZ did not report any response from them.
What is Ariana Grande's lawsuit about?
Grande's case centers on alleged breaches of digital accounts used by people connected to her work, according to TMZ. She says the alleged intruders stole private and unreleased files, then leaked them.
Unreleased music is music that an artist or label has not officially put out. In Grande's case, TMZ reported that she is arguing artists should decide when, where and how their own work reaches the public.
The lawsuit is also meant to help identify who was behind the alleged hacks, TMZ reported. Filing against unnamed defendants can be a way for a plaintiff to start a case before the people accused of wrongdoing have been publicly identified.
Why Ariana Grande says she filed the case
TMZ reported that Grande wants the lawsuit to send a warning to would-be hackers. Her position, according to the outlet, is that artists are entitled to control the release of their work rather than have private material pushed out without permission.
The case, as described by TMZ, does not name the photographers or producers whose accounts were allegedly accessed. It also does not identify where the leaked files appeared or how many files were involved.
For now, the public-facing details are narrow: a California lawsuit, unnamed defendants, alleged hacked accounts, and claims involving unreleased music plus private photos and videos. TMZ characterized the matter as developing.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.