Legal news
Fetty Wap’s lawyer says he only resorted to drug dealing due to the pandemic
His attorney argued that "there were no opportunities to perform, thus his income was severely limited." Fetty Wap’s Lawyer Says He Resorted to Drug Dealing Due to Pandemic Bryan Kress
NYPD Cops charged with stealing champagne from Electric Zoo Festival
Two officers face the felony charges of grand larceny in the fourth degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree. NYPD Cops Charged with Stealing Champagne from Electric Zoo Festival Carys Anderson
Rick and Morty’s Justin Roiland Cleared of Domestic Violence Charges
The Orange County District Attorney’s office announced there was "insufficient evidence." Rick and Morty’s Justin Roiland Cleared of Domestic Violence Charges Eddie Fu
Marilyn Manson Accuser Says She Was “Manipulated” by Evan Rachel Wood, Retracts Allegations
Ashley Morgan Smithline now says she was never abused by Manson. Marilyn Manson Accuser Says She Was “Manipulated” by Evan Rachel Wood, Retracts Allegations Carys Anderson
Alec Baldwin’s Rust Charges Downgraded by Santa Fe District Attorney
Armorer Hannah Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has also had her charges decreased, meaning the two will no longer face five years in prison. Alec Baldwin’s Rust Charges Downgraded by Santa Fe District Attorney Carys Anderson
Drake and 21 Savage Settle Lawsuit Over Fake Vogue Cover: Report
The duo was sued by parent company Condé Nast over their Her Loss promotion in November 2022. Drake and 21 Savage Settle Lawsuit Over Fake Vogue Cover: Report Eddie Fu
Senate Judiciary Committee “Watching” Ticketmaster Ahead of Beyoncé Ticket Sales
The Taylor Swift pre-sale fiasco prompted the committee to host a hearing about Ticketmaster earlier this year. Senate Judiciary Committee “Watching” Ticketmaster Ahead of Beyoncé Ticket Sales Abby Jones
R Kelly’s State-Level Indictments Dismissed Due to “Limited Resources”
Illinois state attorney Kim Foxx has decided to drop the singer's sexual abuse charges considering his current 30-year federal sentence. R Kelly’s State-Level Indictments Dismissed Due to “Limited Resources” Abby Jones
Rick Astley Sues Yung Gravy for “Indistinguishable” Interpolation of “Never Gonna Give You Up”
Astley's lawyers claim the vocals on Gravy's 2022 smash "Betty (Get Money)" sound a bit too similar to the source material. Rick Astley Sues Yung Gravy for “Indistinguishable” Interpolation of “Never Gonna Give You Up” Abby Jones
The Legal Beat: Megan Thee Stallion’s Deposition Dispute – Plus Journey, Flo Rida & More
This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings, and all the fun stuff in between. This week: A judge says Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez must sit for a deposition in Megan Thee Stallion’s war with her record company, a member of Journey sues his longtime bandmate over allegations of lavish spending, Flo Rida wins an $82 million verdict against a beverage company, and much more. THE BIG STORY: To Depose Or Not To Depose When should a top executive be hauled into a deposition to answer questions in a lawsuit? It’s a difficult question. Make it too hard and you could insulate powerful people from the legal process; make it too easy and attorneys could use it as a form of gamesmanship in case...
Post Foods Sues OK Go Over Right to Use Band’s Name for Instant Cereal
OK Go, the band best known for their viral 2006 treadmill music video, have been sued by Post Foods over the right to continue using the band’s name for a newly launched line of instant cereal cups named OK Go! According to Post’s complaint filed in Minnesota federal court on January 13th (via Billboard), the band had been threatening to sue for months and the company would be “unfairly forced to continue investing in its new OK GO! brand while under the constant threat of unfounded future litigation by defendants.” Post is seeking a declaratory judgment ruling that the company hasn’t done anything wrong, citing its trademark application for OK Go! that was approved in 2022. According to Post, the United States Patent and Trademark Office did not find the cereal line’s name ...
NYPD Filmed Audience Leaving Drake Concert
An NYPD officer filmed the audience leaving Drake’s January 21st concert at the Apollo Theater in New York. Cell phone footage shared on Twitter by the New York Times’s Jon Caramanica captured a uniformed officer holding a camera as the crowd filed out of the main entrance of the Apollo. In a statement to Consequence, a spokesperson for the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information wrote, “The officer depicted in the video is a Community Affairs officer involved with the 28th Precinct’s social media team. The officer was taking video for an upcoming Twitter post that will highlight local community events. The video will not be utilized for any other reason.” Advertisement Related Video The video stoked concerns on social media about the NYPD engaging in surveillance o...
