Bad Bunny is Being Sued by his Ex-Girlfriend for Using Her Voice

Bad Bunny is being sued for a whopping $40 million dollars by his ex-girlfriend. Carliz De La Cruz, (ex-girlfriend) is suing him for using a recording of her saying, “bad bunny baby” on multiple songs without her consent. This audio clip can be heard in the beginning of his songs “Pa Tí” and “Dos Mil 16”. Both of these songs combined have over half a billion streams on Spotify alone. These are extremely popular songs and De La Cruz wants her slice of the cake too. 

Some might ask, why is she just doing this now? The two have a complicated history of on and off dating. The two had supposedly started dating back in 2011 and she seems to be the muse of many of Bad Bunny’s songs. Perhaps, this romance is why she hadn’t pursued legal actions in the past. However, the tides have changed and it does not seem like they will get back together. The two had met back in Puerto Rico, while studying at the University of Puerto Rico. It was during this era where Bad Bunny would struggle to be recognized for his musical talents. Eventually in 2016, he was signed to a record label and the rest was history. 

Unfortunately that recording plagues her everyday, “Thousands of people have commented directly on Carliz’s social media networks, as well as every time she goes to a public place, about ‘Bad Bunny baby,’” according to the lawsuit.  De La Cruz recorded the clip back in 2015 when Bad Bunny asked her too. However, overtime they split up. His record label offered to buy the recording for a measly $2,000 which De La Cruz rejected. With Bad Bunny wanting to release “Un Verano Sin Tí” he decided to still release it while using her voice without her consent. De La Cruz, shouldn’t be underestimated because she seems determined. Furthermore, she has attended Law school and her knowledge of the system can be useful.

This is not Bad Bunny’s first time fighting legal cases about his music. One example is a lawsuit filed in 2020 by Puerto Rican musician, Noriel, who claimed that Bad Bunny had stolen his song “Soy un Puto” and used it without his permission in the song “No Voy a Detenerme.” The case was eventually settled out of court, with Bad Bunny reportedly paying Noriel a sum of money. Another legal issue involved the unauthorized use of a sample in Bad Bunny’s song “Mía” featuring Drake. The sample was taken from a 1967 song called “Mía” by Argentine singer Jose Feliciano. Feliciano’s record label sued Bad Bunny and Drake for copyright infringement, but the case was later dismissed after a settlement was reached. However, these were settled and it seems none were near the $40 million price range. Overall, suing a music artist for using someone’s voice without consent can be a lengthy, expensive, and emotionally draining process. It requires a strong legal case, the support of a skilled attorney, and a willingness to pursue the matter through the courts. Furthermore, this is a highly publicized case which has people criticizing Bad Bunny and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds. What do you think about it?