Singer Ariana Grande has filed a lawsuit in California, alleging that unidentified hackers have been stealing and selling her unreleased music, videos, and images for years. The complaint, filed Monday, states that the hackers gained access to the digital devices of Grande's collaborators, including producers and photographers, to pilfer creative content.
According to Grande's legal team, the unauthorized distribution of this material has resulted in the hackers making "significant sums of money" by selling the data on the dark web. The stolen content, much of which was recorded during creative sessions and not intended for public release, has been leaked over a prolonged period. The lawsuit specifically mentions the theft and leakage of "45 unreleased songs" in 2023, noting that similar incidents have occurred frequently since Grande's debut in 2011.
Grande's attorneys are seeking to identify the perpetrators through subpoenas issued to tech companies and internet service providers. The lawsuit aims to act as a deterrent against future acts of privacy invasion and intellectual property theft targeting artists. An insider close to the singer stated that the legal action is intended to protect artists' rights to control their work and prevent the undermining of their creative output.
Instances of alleged hacking and leaks have been documented in previous years. Grande's legal team reported that a photographer she worked with had their password stolen in 2019, and a producer was targeted in 2020, leading to the leak of master recordings and demos. Grande herself alluded to such issues in 2024, referencing the leaked song "Fantasize" on the Zach Sang Show, describing the material as "stolen" and the perpetrators as "pirates, crooks, illegal."