'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The entertainment industry is no stranger to drama, whether it be the latest celebrity trends or unexpected lawsuits. 2024 was an interesting year as it witnessed major pop culture figures head to the courtroom to battle legal cases, drawing headlines around the world.
Many of the most notable lawsuits and legal cases stem from the music industry, from Diddy's arrest to Young Thug's release from the YSL trial, keeping fans engaged across social media platforms.
5 notable lawsuits that broke the internet in 2024
When revisiting the biggest music industry lawsuits for 2024, it seems like artist reputations, their careers, and more have all been put on the line.
From popular rappers facing federal criminal charges that, if convicted, would see them receiving a life sentence to major music corporations being accused of market manipulation, the following five lawsuits stand out for generating massive attention online.
Trending
1) Sean "Diddy" Combs faces life in prison
The most captivating legal unfolding for 2024 was Sean "Diddy" Combs and his legal team battling multiple allegations and lawsuits that claim the Bad Boy Records CEO had s*xually assaulted several women, with some instances going back over 30 years ago.
The music mogul was arrested on September 16 and is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, which included s*x trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
"Sean 'Diddy' Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal," Diddy's attorney Marc Agnifilo stated.
Prosecutors also claim that Diddy used his influence and power within the music industry to cover up multiple crimes like bribery, s*xual assault, arson, kidnapping, and more.
According to an unsealed indictment, many of these instances stem from involuntary s*xual performances, dubbed "Freak Offs," which authorities connected to the 1000 bottles of baby oil and other paraphernalia seized during Homeland Security's raid at his Maimi and Los Angeles mansions, earlier in the year.
"For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged," Sean Combs stated.
Out of the many lawsuits Diddy is facing, over 20 were filed by Houstan-based lawyer Tony Buzbee. In one of his more controversial lawsuits, filed earlier this month, his law firm named Jay-Z as a defendant in one of Sean Combs' cases that claims both rappers allegedly s*xually assaulted a minor in 2000.
The music mogul was denied bail three times and will remain behind bars until legal proceedings begin on May 5, 2025, and could potentially face 15 years to life in prison if convicted.
2) Drake vs UMG and Spotify
While many believe Drake and Kendrick Lamar's historic rap beef ended after releasing the latter's chart-topping multi-Grammy-nominated diss track, Not Like Us, the OVO CEO seemingly had another card up his sleeve.
On November 25, Drake reportedly filed several pre-action petitions against major label Universal Music Group and streaming giant Spotify via his company Frozen Moments LLC.
The request to exchange information before an official lawsuit suggests Univeral conspired with Spotify to artificially inflate the streaming numbers for Not Like Us, which currently sits at close to a billion streams on the streaming platform.
"UMG designed, financed, and then executed a plan to turn 'Not Like Us' into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues," Drake's pre-action petition stated.
Drake claims that UMG and Spotify engaged in harmful business practices that negatively impacted his career. The Canadian rapper claimed that both parties intentionally prioritized the inflation of Not Like Us' streaming numbers for financial gain.
Both Kendrick and Drake have been signed under the blanket of UMG's expansive business empire since the start of their professional careers, with Drizzy signing an exclusive $400 million deal with Universal that solidified the company's holdings on his massive catalog.
A second pre-action petition also implicates radio giant iHeartRadio for accepting "funneled payments" from UMG to boost attention around Not Like Us. Below are some of the major allegations made against UMG and other parties that Drake intends to take on in potential lawsuits this coming year:
- Allegations of charging Spotify a 30 percent lower licensing rate to recommend Not Like Us to users searching for unrelated content.
- Allegations of paying Apple Inc. to have Siri "purposely misdirect" users to Not Like Us when asked to play Certified Lover Boy.
- Allegations of engaging in payola with promotors who forwarded funds to radio stations to play Not Like Us.
- Allegations of paying NFR Podcast, a hip-hop news media outlet, to promote Not Like Us on social media.
- Accusations of refusal to engage in negotiations with Drake after being notified of "economic harm" to his image and personal life following the release of Not Like Us.
- Allegations of UMG threatening to take legal action against Kendrick Lamar if Drake sued them.
- Allegations of "funneled payments" to iHeartRadio to boost streaming and radio play for Not Like Us.
A new hearing is currently scheduled in the New York Supreme Court on January 13, 2025, which will address the OVO CEO's pre-action petitions to have UMG and Spotify preserve all documents and communications related to Not Like Us.
3) Lil Durk charged with "Murder-For-Hire" against Quando Rondo
Chicago rapper Lil Durk, born Durk Banks, is one of the most prominent figures in modern-day hip-hop, working with some of the biggest names in the industry and releasing highly acclaimed projects under his record label Only The Family.
While many fans were anticipating the release of his fourth studio album following his win at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for the hit single All My Life, Durk Banks was arrested over murder-for-hire charges on October 24.
Authorities claim his criminal charges stem from a Los Angeles shooting where rapper Quando Rondo was targeted and reportedly shot multiple times. While Rondo survived the encounter unscathed, his cousin Lul Pab was hit several times, succumbing to their injuries not long after.
Lil Durk is currently being held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, facing multiple federal criminal charges. Prosecutors alleged that he placed a bounty on Quando Rondo after OTF signee King Von's murder in 2020.
Lil Durk will remain behind bars until his trial, currently scheduled for January 7, 2025, potentially facing life in prison if convicted.
4) Major Artificial Intelligence backlash and lawsuits
With AI gaining a more prominent foothold in the entertainment industry, discussions surrounding the "fair use" policy without infringing on copyrights have been a major talking point all year.
Earlier in the year, AI-generated s*xually explicit images of Taylor Swift were shared across social media platforms. The deepfakes, while removed and deleted from most social media platforms not long after being uploaded, inspired broader discussions on the regulations and laws in place to keep a tighter check on AI.
Currently, there are no federal laws or statutes that effectively target these issues. However, last year, a bill called "Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act" was introduced to criminalize the creation of AI-generated s*xually explicit images, allowing victims to file civil lawsuits against perpetrators.
In June, major labels Warner Music, Sony, and Universal filed lawsuits against emerging AI firms Suno and Udio, claiming the companies unlawfully used their sound recordings and songs to train their AI models.
Their lawsuits seek to stop these AI firms from supposedly "continuing to train" models using copyrighted material, as well as seek damages for infringements they claim have already taken place.
"Our technology is transformative; it is designed to generate completely new outputs, not to memorize and regurgitate pre-existing content. That is why we don't allow user prompts that reference specific artists," Suno CEO Mikey Shulman spoke against the lawsuits in a press release.
5) Miley Cyrus served lawsuit against Grammy-winning record Flowers
In September, Tempo Music Investments, a financial firm that purchased the rights of one of the co-writers for Bruno Mars' 2012 hit single When I Was Your Man, filed a lawsuit against Miley Cyrus and her Grammy-winning record Flowers.
According to the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles federal court, the firm claims Miley's chart-topping single has several similarities to Mars' record. They argue that their resemblance extends beyond lyrical "clapbacks," as reported by Billboard.
"Immediately upon the release of 'Flowers' the public recognized the striking similarities between the song and 'When I Was Your Man.' The combination of elements – both musical and lyrical – confirm that 'Flowers' copies extensively from 'When I Was Your Man.'" Tempo's legal team stated.
Billboard reports that Miley's legal team responded to this lawsuit in November, claiming that the lack of Bruno Mars and the other two co-writers involvement in this case is reason for immediate dismissal.
Another interesting legal scenario from the year stems from the 2024 US Presidential Election, when a slew of artists spoke out against the Republican candidate's use of their music in his campaign videos, with some bands even filing lawsuits against Donald Trump.
