The pop star filed a complaint against two John Does on Monday, July 27, demanding a trial by jury
Credit: Monica Schipper/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Ariana Grande is suing two unidentified hackers for allegedly stealing unreleased songs, photos, and videos from her collaborators
- The lawsuit claims the hackers sold stolen content on the dark web and leaked 45 unreleased songs in 2023 alone
- “Artists deserve the right to control how and when their art is shared with the world,” says a source close to Grande
Ariana Grande is taking legal action against two individuals who allegedly hacked her collaborators’ private files.
According to a complaint obtained by PEOPLE that was filed by the pop star’s legal team on Monday, July 27, Grande is suing the John Does after they allegedly hacked “various personal digital accounts of photographers and producers who have worked closely” with her, which she claims has resulted in “unlawful and egregious theft, dissemination, and exploitation of unreleased content.”
The star also claims the John Does profited from the hacked files after they sold “personal data and content on the dark web for significant sums of money.”
According to the complaint, content allegedly hacked includes unreleased songs, photographs, and video and audio recordings taken during her creative process that were “not intended for public consumption.”
“In 2023 alone, 45 unreleased songs belonging to Ms. Grande were hacked, stolen, and leaked by Defendants,” alleges the complaint. “Since her music debut in 2011, hundreds of similar leaks have taken place.”
Grande’s lawyers also note in the complaint that the singer is initiating legal action to uncover the identities” of the alleged hackers.
“The lawsuit is intended to serve as a deterrent against future acts of this nature — not only targeting Ariana, but also the many artists who have faced similar invasions of their privacy and theft of their creative work,” a source close to Grande tells PEOPLE. “Artists deserve the right to control how and when their art is shared with the world. The unlawful theft and distribution of creative work undermines that right and should not be tolerated.”
During an appearance on the Zach Sang Show two years ago to promote Eternal Sunshine, Grande hinted that she would be holding leakers accountable.“He’s just been such an incredible friend these past few years,” she said of Max Martin, who produced “Fantasize,” an unreleased track that was leaked in 2023 and went viral.
“We were — before I left for Wicked — a few studio sessions that I did which are all over TikTok, thank you so much, I’ll see you in jail. Literally,” she continued. “Those were all written for a TV show, for something that was not for me, so ‘Fantasize’ comes out, crazy, was stolen … these pirates, crooks, illegal!”
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