The Ex-girlfriend of Bad Bunny files a $40 million lawsuit against him for allegedly using her voice without permission.
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The rapper’s ex-girlfriend is suing him for more than $40 million over a voice recording she claims was used in his songs without her permission. According to court records, she feels “worried, anguished, intimidated, overwhelmed and anxious” because the recording continues to be used.
Carliz De La Cruz Hernández, a former girlfriend of the superstar singer, has filed a lawsuit in Puerto Rico alleging that she secretly recorded the line “Bad Bunny, baby” on her phone in a restroom in 2015 before the popstar’s popularity skyrocketed.
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According to her, the line was first heard in the rapper and singer’s 2017 hit Pa Ti, where De La Cruz’s voice starts the song. At the moment it was released, it has 235 million Spotify plays and 358 million views on YouTube. The 2022 song Dos Mil 16’s opening also appears to be based on the same audio.
De La Cruz claims that the use of the phrase and her “distinguishable voice” without her consent is a violation of Puerto Rico’s “Law of the Right to Own Image” and is the subject of a complaint she filed earlier this month.
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Bad Bunny and De La Cruz met while they were both students at the same institution and employed at the same supermarket. They began dating in 2011. According to the court document, Bad Bunny frequently produced music and showed De La Cruz his works to get her opinion.
The lawsuit’s phrase was allegedly recorded by De La Cruz in a friend’s restroom using a voice-notes app and forwarded to the rapper in 2015. According to the complaint, it was used in a number of tracks that were uploaded to SoundCloud and subsequently used in concerts, promotions, social media campaigns, radio, and television.
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In May 2022, shortly before the release of the album Un Verano Sin Ti, a representative for Bad Bunny allegedly made an offer to purchase the recording’s rights for $2000, which De La Cruz claims she declined.
The track Dos Mil 16 remained unchanged when the album was released and was nominated for album of the year at the 2023 Grammy Awards. On the US Billboard 200, the album debuted at No. 1 and remained there for 13 weeks.
Published by HOLR Magazine