Ariana Grande sues alleged hackers over leaked songs and private content

American pop star Ariana Grande has filed a lawsuit in a California court seeking to identify and hold accountable two unidentified defendants, referred to as John Doe, accused of hacking her collaborators and stealing unreleased music, photos, video footage and other private material. The filing, submitted at the end of July, alleges that the hackers accessed the digital accounts of photographers, producers and other members of Grande’s entourage, extracting dozens of demo tracks and personal content that were subsequently posted on the dark web. Grande’s legal team cites a surge of leaks in 2023, when 45 previously unheard songs appeared online, as well as earlier incidents in 2019, 2020 and a phishing attack in 2024 that targeted a technician working for a photographer.

The suit requests that the judge authorize discovery to trace the hackers’ digital footprints and reveal their identities, aiming to stop further unauthorized distribution and to seek damages for the damage to Grande’s artistic plans and privacy. Grande’s representatives say the action is intended to send a warning to the industry about the severe impact of such breaches.