Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny, the world’s greatest musician and Spotify’s most-streamed artist for three consecutive years, has been sued for $40 million by his ex-girlfriend, Carliz De La Cruz Hernández.
The reason is that her voice can be heard on the 2017 released single “Pa Ti” and on “Dos Mil 16” from the album UN VERANO SIN TI. She recorded the Adlib “Bad Bunny, Baby” used in both tracks in 2015 at the artist’s request. However, according to the indictment, which includes not only the musician but also his manager Noah Kamlil Assad Byrne and the label Rimas Entertainment, she never agreed to commercial use.
The lawsuit
On the one hand, Hernández raises the question of her monetary share in the world fame of her former partner. On the other hand, the unwanted fame that 546 million Spotify plays (as of March 22, 2023) inevitably bring with it had negative consequences for their psyche and well-being. Her social media accounts have been bombarded by fans and she is constantly being harassed in public. The sum is therefore probably a mixture of damages and compensation for pain and suffering.
The two were in a relationship between 2011 and 2016. During this time, Hernández took over part of the management tasks that arose at the beginning of Ocasio’s musical career. In addition, he is said to have frequently consulted her on creative issues.
Rimas Entertainment should not be unprepared for the lawsuit. The court document also reveals that the company sent a contract to license her voice a few days before the release of the latest Bad Bunny album. The sum offered was probably $2,000. However, the Puerto Rican signed neither this nor any other contract. UN VERANO SIN TI was released anyway and won this year’s Grammys in the category “Best Música Urbana Album”. The label’s knowledge of its share of the two titles is cited as an argument for the need to pay.
On April 14th, Bad Bunny will be the first Latin American headliner in the history of the Coachella Festival in Indio, California.