Ariana Grande Files Lawsuit Against Anonymous Hackers Over Leaked Unreleased Music

Ariana Grande has filed a lawsuit in California state court against two unnamed individuals she says stole, sold and publicly released unreleased music, photos and video footage from her recording sessions and music‑video shoots.

The filing, obtained by Variety, was submitted on Monday, July 28 2026. Grande, 33, alleges that the defendants carried out a phishing and hacking campaign that targeted the digital accounts of photographers and producers who have worked with her. According to the complaint, the hackers accessed the collaborators’ devices, copied unreleased masters, demos, behind‑the‑scenes footage and out‑takes, and then distributed the material to third parties for “significant sums of money.” The exact amount of money paid for the stolen content was not disclosed.

The lawsuit claims that the stolen material spans recordings and videos from 2019 through 2024, covering the period of Grande’s seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, and the film Wicked in which she played Glinda. The complaint states that the defendants “unlawfully and egregiously” stole and exploited the content, and that the material was sold on the internet.

Grande has a long history of unreleased music appearing online. She has publicly noted that leaks have occurred since 2011, and that she has dealt with dozens of unauthorized releases in recent years. The current lawsuit focuses on a specific hacking campaign that the singer says is distinct from earlier incidents, although she has not confirmed whether the same hackers were responsible for past leaks.

The singer’s legal team is seeking the identities of the defendants and is requesting that the court order the removal of the stolen material from the internet. Grande also seeks damages for the financial loss and reputational harm caused by the unauthorized distribution of her work.

The lawsuit comes as Grande continues the Eternal Sunshine tour, which began on June 6 2026 in Oakland, California. The tour is scheduled to finish on September 1 2026 at the O2 Arena in London. Grande’s album, released in March 2024, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and produced two number‑one singles on the Hot 100.

Industry observers note that the case highlights the growing risk of data breaches in the music production pipeline. Producers, photographers and other collaborators often store large amounts of unreleased material on cloud services or local servers. A breach can expose not only the artist’s intellectual property but also the personal data of the collaborators.

The lawsuit also raises questions about the legal remedies available to artists when their unreleased work is distributed online. While copyright law protects the artist’s ownership of the recordings, the defendants’ actions may also constitute a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and state computer‑fraud statutes.

No comment has yet been received from Grande’s representatives. The filing does not include any statements from the defendants, and the court has not yet scheduled a hearing.

The case is still in its early stages. The court will determine whether the allegations are sufficient to proceed, and whether the defendants can be identified and held liable. Until a judgment is issued, the status of the stolen material remains uncertain.

The lawsuit is the latest example of a high‑profile artist taking legal action against data‑security breaches. It underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity practices in the music industry and the potential legal consequences of failing to protect artists’ intellectual property.

The next public update on the case will likely come from the court docket or from Grande’s legal team as the litigation progresses.