A legal battle is brewing as Ariana Grande takes action against hackers she accuses of stealing and profiting from her unreleased music, photos, and videos over an extended period. The singer has filed a lawsuit in a California state court, alleging a sustained hacking operation targeted her close associates and individuals with access to her unreleased content. The lawsuit claims that a group of unidentified individuals gained unauthorized entry into online accounts and devices belonging to photographers, producers, and others linked to Grande, pilfering unreleased songs, recording sessions, music videos, photos, and other private materials for sale on the dark web.
According to the suit, in the year 2023 alone, 45 unreleased tracks by Grande were hacked and leaked. Since her debut in 2011, numerous similar breaches have reportedly occurred. The legal complaint details various breaches over the years. In 2019, it is alleged that login credentials for a photographer’s Dropbox account were stolen. The following year, a producer working with Grande reportedly had their phone hacked, leading to the leak of unreleased masters, demos, and footage.
The most recent incident, as per the claim, occurred in 2024, involving a phishing campaign targeting a digital technician associated with a photographer Grande had collaborated with. The hackers purportedly created a fake Gmail account and internet domain to impersonate the photographer, tricking the technician into sending confidential materials to them.
This is not the first time Grande has spoken out against hackers leaking her unreleased content. In a 2024 interview with The Zach Sang Show, she expressed frustration over the unauthorized release of a song called Fantasize, which she had created with Swedish producer Max Martin for a TV show. The track went viral after being leaked online without her consent.
Jeremy Goldman, a Los Angeles-based legal expert in intellectual property, media, entertainment, and technology, described the situation as challenging. He suggested that the lawsuit was likely intended to gain subpoena power to uncover relevant information through internet service providers and forensic records. Goldman noted that while the case’s complexity might be unique, pursuing unidentified individuals through legal means is a common strategy, citing a similar lawsuit filed by singer Sia in 2023.
Grande, who is preparing for the release of her eighth studio album, Petal, is currently on her Eternal Sunshine tour, with upcoming performances in Montreal. She declined to comment on the matter when contacted by CBC News.
