This is The Legal Beat, a weekly music law newsletter from Billboard Pro, bringing you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, landmark decisions and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: A deep dive into whether rappers like Kendrick Lamar and Drake can sue each other for defamation over wild claims in diss tracks. a lawsuit by TikTok over an 'unprecedented' law barring US enforcement; Britney Spears settles her divorce case; and many more.
THE BIG STORY: Defamation?
Over the weekend, as Kendrick Lamar and Drake traded diss tracks filled with wild accusations, viewers on social media began to wonder if either rapper could be setting themselves up for legal trouble: “Has anyone ever filed a lawsuit for libel for a diss track in the past? ” joked Matt Ford, a legal reporter at the New Republic, on Saturday night.
An actual lawsuit seems unlikely, for the simple reason that any rapper responding to a diss track with a team of lawyers would be killing himself over reputation. But the conversation got us thinking: Could a rapper like Drake or Kendrick be sued for the kind of scathing insults we saw this weekend?
While the diss tracks are filled with highly specific invective (and we mean extremely) could certainly lead to a defamation lawsuit in theory, legal experts say Advertising sign that such a case would face not only legal challenges but also practical problems. Read our full story here.
Other top stories this week…
TIKTOK IS SUING US FOR THE BAN – TikTok and parent company ByteDance filed a federal lawsuit aimed at overturning recently passed legislation in the US that requires the Chinese company to sell the popular app or face a national ban. The companies called the legislation an “unprecedented” and unconstitutional action aimed at “singleing out” one company and “silencing” more than 170 million Americans who use TikTok.
BRITNEY'S DIVORCE IS FINALIZED – Britney Spears they reached a settlement to finalize her divorce from husband Sam Asghari, dissolving their 14-month marriage under the terms of a “written agreement” — likely a reference to a reported “iron prenup” signed by Asghari ahead of their 2022 wedding.
YOUR ASTROLOGY IS SET – The first civil trial for Travis Scott, Live Nation and others over their alleged roles in the 2021 Astroworld music festival disaster was scheduled to begin this week, but the proceedings were adjourned due to a difficult dispute over whether Apple – which broadcast an exclusive live stream of the fateful concert – can potentially be held liable.
TOMMY LEE ABUSE CASE – A Los Angeles judge dismissed the lawsuit accusing Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee of sexually assaulting a woman in a helicopter in 2003, ruling that he hadn't alleged any kind of “cover-up” — a key requirement under the California statute he invoked in filing the suit. But it's not over yet: The judge gave her a chance to file an amended complaint again within 20 days.
UPDATE MORGAN WALLEN – Criminal case against Morgan Wallen for allegedly throwing a chair off the roof of a six-story Nashville bar moves forward a first hearing. The star, who did not appear in person and has yet to enter a plea, faces three felony counts of reckless endangerment over the incident, in which the chair landed just feet away from several police officers standing on the street below.
SENATE HEARING – Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl and other industry bigwigs were on Capitol Hill last week Senate hearing on the NO FAKES Act, a proposed federal law that would allow people to sue for the unauthorized use of their name, likeness or voice in “digital copies” such as AI deepfakes. Read Kristin Robinson's full audition breakdown here.
NICK PRODUCER LIBEL SUIT – Former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider sued for defamation vs. Warner Bros. Discovery and others behind an explosive documentary called Quiet on set: The Dark Side of Kids TVclaiming that the series falsely implied that he had sexually abused the child actors he worked with.
