Key Takeaways
- Ariana Grande has filed a John Doe civil lawsuit in California accusing unknown hackers of stealing unreleased music, videos, and private photos by breaking into her collaborators' accounts.
- The suit uses civil discovery to force platforms to reveal who's behind the alleged breaches and comes just after multiple major artists had their YouTube and other platform accounts compromised.
- Grande has publicly battled leaks before, warning leakers earlier this year: "I'll see you in jail, literally," after her song "Fantasize" was leaked in 2023.
Ariana Grande has filed a civil lawsuit against a number of unnamed individuals who allegedly stole unreleased music, videos, and private photos from her collaborators.
According to TMZ, the suit, filed in California on (July 27), targets several unnamed John and Jane Does. The defendants allegedly compromised accounts belonging to photographers and producers Grande had worked with, then stole material that was never intended for release.
Because the identities of the alleged hackers are unknown, Grande's legal team structured the case as a John Doe action, a filing that allows her to use the civil discovery process to compel platforms and services to hand over identifying information tied to the breaches.
The lawsuit arrives days after multiple high-profile artists reportedly had their YouTube channels and other platform accounts compromised.
This is not Grande's first run-in with leakers. In February 2024, she appeared on the Zach Sang Show and addressed the unauthorized spread of her material on TikTok.
