In brief
In 2023 alone, 45 unreleased songs were hacked and leaked, part of a pattern of hundreds of similar leaks since 2011.
Filed as a John Doe lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, July 27, the suit seeks to unmask and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Incidents include a 2019 Dropbox breach, a 2020 phone hack of a producer, and a 2024 phishing scam impersonating a photographer.
Grande's representative said the lawsuit is intended to discourage future cyber intrusions that target musicians and their collaborators.
- 2019Hackers access a photographer's Dropbox account and steal unreleased images.
- 2020A producer's cell phone is compromised; in-progress masters, demos, and recording footage are downloaded.
- 202345 unreleased songs are hacked and leaked; the content is sold on the dark web.
- 2024Phishing scam: a fake Gmail account and domain impersonate a photographer to trick a technician into sending private photos.
The lawsuit
Ariana Grande filed a lawsuit Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against unknown hackers, designated as John Does, alleging they stole and sold her unreleased songs, videos, and private photos. The complaint states the hackers targeted digital accounts of her collaborators, photographers and producers, to obtain exclusive materials, which they then sold on the dark web for "significant sums of money." Grande's legal team seeks court authorization to unmask the defendants' identities and hold them accountable for "invasive and reprehensible conduct." A representative told People the suit aims to deter similar attacks against other artists.
“In 2023 alone, 45 unreleased songs belonging to Ms. Grande were hacked, stolen and leaked by defendants.”
Pattern of breaches
The lawsuit outlines a years-long campaign of cyberattacks. In 2019, hackers obtained login credentials for a photographer's Dropbox account, leading to theft of unreleased images. In 2020, they compromised a producer's cell phone and downloaded still-in-production masters, demos, and recording session footage. The most recent incident, in 2024, involved a phishing scam: the hackers created a fake Gmail account and domain posing as a photographer, convincing a digital technician to send them unpublished photos of the singer. The complaint says the stolen content has been sold in batches, with transactions facilitated through third-party payment providers such as PayPal and CashApp.
Scale of the theft
The numbers are stark. The lawsuit claims that 45 unreleased tracks were leaked in 2023 alone, and that since her debut in 2011, "hundreds of similar leaks have taken place." The theft encompasses master recordings, demos, music videos, and private images. The complaint describes the financial motive: the hackers were paid "significant sums" for the stolen content, underlining the commercial exploitation of her creative work. The material was allegedly sold on the dark web, making it difficult to trace the ultimate buyers.
Grande's response
Grande had previously spoken out about the leaks. In a 2024 interview with Zach Sang, she addressed the unauthorized release of "Fantasize," a track she co-wrote with Swedish producer Max Martin for a TV show. The song went viral on TikTok after being illegally posted, adding to her frustration. "Those were all written for a TV show, for something that was not for me, so 'Fantasize' comes out -- it was crazy, it was stolen," she said. She jokingly threatened legal action: "Thieves! Pirates! Crooks! Illegal! I'll pay you more to put it away or to get it back." Now she is taking concrete steps with the lawsuit.
“Before I left for Wicked, the few studio sessions that I did [went] all over TikTok. Thank you so much, I'll see you in jail. Literally.”
What's next
Grande is currently on her first tour in seven years and is set to release her new album "Petal" this Friday, July 31. The lawsuit seeks to identify the hackers and obtain damages. The complaint also states it is intended to deter future cyber intrusions against artists and their creative partners. The timing is critical: unauthorized circulation of tracks could disrupt the official album rollout. The case highlights a recurring challenge for the music industry, where unreleased material leaking online can undermine commercial plans and personal privacy.