Just couldn’t wait on that new Kelsea Ballerini music, eh?
The country star has filed a lawsuit against a former fan club member who she claims hacked into her computer to illegally release her new, unfinished music.
The singer filed a complaint yesterday, which has been obtained and reviewed by Whiskey Riff, requesting a temporary restraining order against Bo Ewing, an Ohio man who she claims gained backdoor access to either her computer or the computer of her producer, Alysa Vanderheym. The alleged hacking occurred on April 7, and Ewing reportedly “gained access to…still-in-production, unreleased masters and demos.”
According to the complaint, Ewing was a former member of Ballerini’s fan club, but has since become “disenfranchised” with the singer. A picture included in the court filing shows Ewing meeting Ballerini at a concert, while a tweet attached as an exhibit shows Ewing reportedly telling somebody that:
“You introduced me to Kelsea so I don’t think I trust your taste sorry”
His Twitter account has since been locked, but also included are 2017 tweets where Ewing bragged about leaking confidential information on an upcoming Taylor Swift album.
The complaint says that Ewing “took it upon himself to go online and seek out confidential and privileged information about Ms. Ballerini’s yet-to-be-released new album,” and has since shared the new music, which includes 12 unreleased songs, with numerous members of Kelsea’s fan club.
Ballerini, along with Vanderheym and her record label, Black River Entertainment, are requesting a temporary restraining order as well as a preliminary injunction to prevent Ewing from further distributing the new music. Ballerini and Vanderheym have also filed claims for violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, as well as the Tennessee Personal and Commercial Computer Act, requesting damages for anticipated lost profits and loss of autonomy over the works.
Her record label, meanwhile, has also filed a claim for copyright infringement, seeking statutory damages in the amount of $150,000 per infringement.
The court quickly issued a restraining order yesterday, ordering Ewing to cease from “transferring, distributing, or otherwise disseminating any copies of any unreleased still-in-production demos and masters of songs with the following titles: Deep; This Time Last Year; Two Things; Love Me; Cowboys Cry Too; To the Men who Love Women after Heartbreak; Better Things; Insanity; First Rodeo; Sorry Mom; Good Girl with a Little Rage; and Beg for Your Love.”
The case is set for a hearing on April 24 at the federal courthouse in Nashville.