In brief
Ariana Grande is suing two unidentified hackers in Los Angeles after they allegedly accessed collaborator computers, stealing and leaking 45 unreleased tracks and studio footage, the singer claims. The lawsuit accuses the hackers of violating California computer hacking laws, invasion of privacy, and conversion, seeking to uncover the perpetrators' identities and hold them accountable. Grande has previously spoken out about leaking songs such as “Fantasize” and vowed to protect her unreleased material. As the singer prepares to release her eighth album, Petal, and churns through a world tour, the legal action underscores the growing threat of digital piracy for high‑profile artists. The case also highlights the fragile relationship between artists and their audiences when confidential work is publicly streamed. Grande’s move could set a legal precedent for artists tackling online piracy across parallel timelines.
Pop diva Ariana Grande has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against two unidentified hackers, alleging they breached her collaborators’ computer systems to smuggle and sell 45 unreleased tracks and studio footage on the dark web.
The court documents say the attackers targeted photographers, producers, and digital technicians over several years, siphoning out unreleased masters, demos and intimate rehearsal footage. In 2025, according to the suit, a hacker accessed a producer’s mobile device to download demos, while a prior year email scam convinced a technician to forward unreleased photos to the attackers.
Grande’s lawyers claim the hacks have inflicted “substantial and irreparable harm” by breaching her privacy and disrupting her career. The singer is seeking damages for invasion of privacy, violations of California computer‑hacking statutes and conversion of her intellectual property. “The malicious intrusion and the subsequent disruption of my career have caused bodily and psychological harm,” her counsel wrote.
Her legal action arrives just as she prepares to drop her eighth studio album, Petal, this Friday and to complete a world tour that is set to hit the UK in August. Grande had previously hinted that the tour would be the last for “a long time” and described the upcoming performance as a “one‑last-hurrah” for her fans.
The singer has been vocal about her distrust of hard‑to‑track hacking in the music industry. In a 2024 interview with the Zach Sang show, she highlighted a leaked silent track, “Fantasize,” written with Max Martin, and warned against the “pirates, crooks, illegal” threats to her unreleased work.
The lawsuit therefore not only demands financial reparations but also seeks to publicise and deterring future thefts by exposing the identity of the hackers. This legal battle is one of the many instances of artists using litigation to safeguard digital assets in an increasingly fragmented media ecosystem.
Further updates on the case and its implications for artist‑piracy rights will be released as the court process unfolds.
