Lizzo first burst into the music scene with her smash hit, “Truth Hurts” which was released in 2019. Since then, the star has been engaged in lawsuits over copyright claims. On Friday, March 18th, Lizzo and her attorneys reached an agreement for “dismissal of the entire action without prejudice”.
How It Began
The dispute first began in 2019 when Justin Raisen, Jeremiah Raisen and Yves Rothman claimed that “Truth Hurts” originated from a writing session in which they participated. The Raisens and Rothman argued that in 2017, the group worked on a song called “Healthy,” in which the line “I did a DNA test and found out I’m 100% that…” was found on the internet. Lizzo and longtime collaborator, Saint John, were originally against using the lyric but ended up including it in “Healthy” anyway.
“Truth Hurts” Origin
After the session, Lizzo continued to work on “Healthy,” which supposedly evolved into “Truth Hurts.” The Raisen brothers and Rothman allege that “Truth Hurts” incorporates both lyrics and other musical elements from the original song. The songwriters claim that they are therefore co-owners of “Truth Hurts” and entitled to compensation. Lizzo attested that the “100%” lyric was inspired by a viral tweet, to which she later gave the Twitter user a songwriting credit. In an Instagram post, Lizzo stated “The creator of the tweet is who I am sharing my success with.”
On the same post, Lizzo penned a scathing review of the Raisen brothers and Rothman’s claims. She writes, “The men who now claim a piece of “Truth Hurts” did not help me write any part of the song… That song is my life, and its words are my truth.”
Legal Claims Dismissed Before
Judge Gee initially dismissed these claims without prejudice, saying that “joint authorship in prior work is insufficient to make one a joint author of a derivative work.” The songwriters reworked their claims, but the court ruled that the premise of their new claims was still insufficient and dismissed them. Specifically, the songwriters’ claims of co-ownership must be based on the song at hand, not in an independent track that may share the same elements.
Possible Proceedings with Lizzo
Though the copyright claims were largely dismissed, Judge Gee allowed the possibility that the Raisen brothers and Rothman could enjoy a cut of revenue from “Truth Hurts.” These proceedings were scheduled to happen next year.
The End of the Legal Dispute
However, Lawrence Y. Iser, attorney for Justin Raiser, Jeremiah Raisen, and Yves Rothman stated that the parties settled the dispute. He says the case was settled on confidential terms, meaning that the media is unable to access them. Lizzo’s attorney declined to comment on the settlement. Both parties also agreed to pay their own legal fees.
What’s Next for Lizzo?
Now that Lizzo is no longer wrapped in legal disputes, it’s time to focus on her music. In an appearance on The Late Show with James Corden, the 33-year-old teased a new song. Titled “About Damn Time,” the track is part of her newest album, which releases on April 14th. Lizzo says the album took her three years to complete, and we’re sure it’ll be absolutely worth it.
