Ariana Grande Files Lawsuit Against Hackers Over Years of Leaked Music and Private Footage

By Pulse Radio 96.1 News

Ariana Grande is taking legal action against the individuals she says are responsible for years of stolen and leaked unreleased music, private photos, and behind-the-scenes footage.

The Grammy-winning singer has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against unidentified “John Doe” defendants, alleging they orchestrated a years-long hacking operation that targeted the digital accounts of photographers, producers, and other collaborators in order to obtain and profit from her unreleased material. 

According to the complaint, the hackers allegedly used phishing schemes and other cyberattacks to gain unauthorized access to accounts belonging to members of Grande’s creative team. Once inside, they reportedly stole unreleased masters, demo recordings, music video footage, recording session videos, photoshoot outtakes, and other private content before selling the material online through third-party payment platforms. 

The lawsuit claims the problem has persisted for more than a decade. Grande alleges that 45 unreleased songs were hacked and leaked in 2023 alone, while hundreds of similar leaks have occurred since the beginning of her music career in 2011. 

Among the incidents outlined in the filing is a 2019 breach involving a photographer’s Dropbox account, which allegedly resulted in the theft of unreleased photographs. The complaint also references a 2020 hack of a producer’s mobile device that exposed unfinished songs and studio recordings, as well as phishing attacks in 2024 that reportedly led to additional private images being stolen. 

Grande argues that the repeated leaks have caused significant financial, professional, and emotional harm. According to the lawsuit, she has been forced to re-record music, alter release schedules, spend substantial resources removing leaked material from the internet, and navigate damage to both her creative process and business relationships. 

The singer is asking the court to identify the anonymous hackers through the legal discovery process, order the return of any stolen material, prohibit further distribution of her private content, and hold those responsible accountable under California’s computer fraud laws, invasion of privacy statutes, and civil theft provisions. 

Grande has spoken publicly about music leaks before. During a 2024 interview, she addressed the unauthorized release of her unreleased song “Fantasize,” which went viral online despite never being intended for commercial release. At the time, she warned those responsible that legal consequences could follow. 

The case highlights the growing challenge artists face in protecting unreleased work in an increasingly digital industry. By pursuing legal action, Grande says she hopes not only to stop future leaks of her own material but also to send a message that the theft and sale of artists’ creative work will not go unchallenged.