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Ariana Grande just sued unknown hackers accused of stealing and selling her unreleased music and private content online.
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The lawsuit claims hackers targeted accounts and devices linked to photographers and producers who worked with Grande.
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Grande wants to identify those behind the alleged attacks and stop further sales and sharing of her stolen material.
Ariana Grande just filed a legal charge against unknown bad actors. She said they stole her unreleased music, photos as well as videos. The singer filed the case in Los Angeles County Superior Court on July 27, 2026.
According to ABC News, the lawsuit names John Doe 1 and John Does 2 through 100 as defendants. Grande is using the lawsuit to find the identities of the people behind the alleged attacks. She also wants the court to hold those individuals responsible for the alleged theft and distribution.
Hackers Allegedly Targeted People Around Grande
The lawsuit claims the hackers targeted digital accounts belonging to photographers and producers who worked with Grande. According to the complaint, the stolen material includes unreleased songs, demos and recording session footage.
It also includes music videos, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, plus content from album and photoshoot sessions. The lawsuit says the alleged attacks happened over several years.
ABC News reported that hackers allegedly obtained login details for a photographer’s Dropbox account in 2019. The complaint claims those details allowed the attackers to download unreleased photographs.
The following year, the hackers allegedly accessed a producer’s mobile device. The producer had worked with Grande, according to the lawsuit. The attackers allegedly took unreleased masters, demos and footage from recording sessions.
The complaint also describes alleged phishing attempts used to obtain private material. The incidents reportedly happened in January and February 2024.
According to the lawsuit, the alleged hackers created a Gmail account and a domain that appeared to belong to a photographer. They then contacted a digital technician and asked for access to Grande’s private content.
Dozens of Unreleased Songs Allegedly Leaked
The lawsuit claims the alleged theft involved a large amount of Grande’s unreleased work. According to The Verge, hackers allegedly stole and leaked 45 unreleased Grande songs during 2023 alone. The complaint also claims hundreds of similar leaks have happened since Grande began releasing music in 2011.
According to ABC News, the stolen material was allegedly sold in batches through third-party payment services. The complaint names services including PayPal and Cash App. People who bought the material allegedly shared it on different online platforms.
The Guardian also reported that Grande’s team believes some stolen material was sold on the dark web. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of invading privacy and violating California’s Comprehensive Data Access and Fraud Act. Grande also alleges conversion, according to ABC News. The dark web is also used for corporate data leaks. A ransomware group recently threatened to release Nissan data after negotiations failed.
The singer claims the alleged distribution of unfinished work harmed her business relationships and creative process. She also says the activity caused financial and reputational damage.
The lawsuit claims Grande has spent significant resources investigating the alleged attacks. Her team has also worked to remove material that was allegedly shared without her permission.
Grande has previously spoken about the impact of music leaks. According to TheWrap, she discussed the 2024 leak of her unreleased song “Fantasize”. Grande reportedly described the recording as stolen and criticised people who distributed it.
Grande Seeks to Stop Further Distribution
Grande is asking the court to order the defendants to return her private materials. She also wants an order that would stop them from sharing or distributing the stolen content, according to ABC News.
The singer also wants to identify the people accused of carrying out the alleged attacks. Grande has demanded a jury trial as part of the case. The lawsuit seeks legal action over the alleged theft and distribution of her private and unreleased material.
The case adds to Grande’s previous experience with unreleased music appearing online without her approval. Her lawsuit now seeks to uncover who allegedly accessed the material and who later sold or shared it. The legal action also seeks to prevent further distribution of the content and protect Grande’s unreleased creative work.
