Ariana Grande is taking unidentified hackers to court after years of alleged leaks involving her unreleased work and private material. The singer claims the defendants sold stolen songs, photos, and recordings while violating her privacy and control over her art.
Ariana alleges hackers profited by selling stolen music and content
According to a complaint obtained by People, Grande filed suit Monday, July 27, in California against two unidentified defendants listed as John Does. She alleges they accessed digital accounts belonging to photographers, producers, and other collaborators before stealing unreleased material.
The complaint says the hackers obtained songs, photographs, videos, and audio recordings from Grande’s creative process. None of it was intended for public release, according to the filing.
Grande alleges the defendants sold her data and content on the dark web for “significant sums of money.” She claims their actions caused substantial and irreparable harm to her career and relationship with fans.
The filing states that 45 unreleased songs were stolen and leaked in 2023 alone. Grande’s lawyers also claim hundreds of unauthorized leaks have occurred since she began releasing music in 2011.
The lawsuit describes several alleged breaches. Someone reportedly accessed a photographer’s Dropbox account in 2019 and compromised a producer’s phone in 2020. Grande also claims a hacker used a fake email address in 2024 to impersonate a photographer and obtain private images.
Grande has not identified the people behind the alleged scheme. She hopes to uncover the John Doe defendants’ identities and hold them responsible. The filing requests a jury trial, but reports have not disclosed a specific damages figure.
The singer previously addressed the 2023 leak of “Fantasize,” an unreleased track that gained traction online. She warned those responsible that she would see them “in jail” and criticized the circulation of work she never chose to release.
The legal action follows Grande’s recent efforts to control how others use her music. She objected when the White House used one of her songs without approval, while a separate report linked her new album to ownership of its master recordings. Her Eternal Sunshine Tour also continues after production concerns forced several schedule changes.
The complaint does not prove that the unnamed defendants committed the alleged acts. Grande must identify them and establish her claims in court. For now, the case turns a long-running leak problem into a legal battle over privacy, ownership and an artist’s right to decide what the public hears.
TELL US – SHOULD ARTISTS HAVE STRONGER PROTECTIONS AGAINST UNRELEASED MUSIC LEAKS?
Reported by Misbah Pandith on Reality Tea.
