Ariana Grande is suing unnamed hackers who she claims have repeatedly stolen and leaked unreleased music, photos and video footage, saying they have violated the “sacred relationship that exists between her and her fans.”
In a lawsuit submitted to Los Angeles court Monday (July 27), the pop star’s attorneys say the hackers have targeted her photographers and producers, allowing them to carry out “unlawful and egregious” thefts of her private content. They say 45 of her songs were stolen and leaked in 2023 alone.
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“Neither Ms. Grande nor any other public or private figure should have to suffer such violations caused by these wrongdoers who hide in the shadows and wreak technological havoc with impunity,” the star’s lawyers write. “It is imperative to Ms. Grande to ensure on behalf of herself and others that such conduct is deterred to the fullest extent possible.”
The lawsuit does not name any actual defendants; instead, it names anonymous “John Doe” hackers. Grande is aiming to use the lawsuit to unmask them, potentially through court-ordered subpoenas to internet service providers.
“Ms. Grande initiates this action to uncover the identities of these currently unknown and unscrupulous individuals in order to hold them accountable for their invasive and reprehensible conduct,” her lawyers write.
Grande’s lawyers say she has “constantly and recently been the target of cyberattacks,” resulting in theft of her music, photos and video that are “part of her personal and professional creative process and that are not intended for public consumption.” After these thefts, the hackers have then “sold this personal data and content on the dark web for significant sums of money.”
The lawsuit claims Grande has faced “hundreds” of such leaks since 2011, including a 2019 theft of “still-in-production, unreleased masters and demos and footage,” as well as two attacks in 2024 that saw unreleased photos of the star stolen in phishing scams.
“This malicious invasion of Ms. Grande’s privacy and disruption of her career have caused her substantial and irreparable harm due to this breach of privacy,” her lawyers write. “The unauthorized misappropriation and disclosure of these materials is a violation of Ms. Grande’s identity and artistry, and the direct and sacred relationship that exists between her and her fans.”
In technical legal terms, Grande is suing the unnamed hackers for invasion of privacy, violation of California computer hacking laws, and conversion — the civil law equivalent to the crime of theft.
