These Hit Songs Have Gotten Your Fav Artists Sued - Find Out What Got Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, Mariah Carey & More in Legal Trouble

1. Yung Gravy was named in a lawsuit by Rick Astley over his song “Betty (Get Money)”

The most recent entry to this list finds ’80s legend Rick Astley facing off against rapper Yung Gravy over his song “Betty (Get Money).”

If the song sounds familiar to Rick’s “Give You Up,” that’s because Yung Gravy and his team reportedly secured the rights to interpolate the classic song, according to Billboard.

So what’s the problem? Rick took issue with the way that Yung Gravy‘s hit includes “a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley‘s voice throughout the song,” according to legal documents filed in January 2023.

Both Yung Gravy and Republic Records have been named in the lawsuit, but neither appear to have directly responded at the time of publishing.

Verdict: The case was settled in September 2023

2. Taylor Swift was sued over “Shake It Off”

Taylor Swift‘s “Shake It Off” shook its way to the top of the charts when it premiered in 2014. It then proceeded to shake its way into the courtroom after the hitmaker was sued by Sean Hall and Nathan Butler.

What was the root issue? It came down to the lyrics “player’s gonna play” and “hater’s gonna hate.” Sean and Nathan wrote 3LW‘s song “Playas Gon’ Play” and felt that the lyrics ripped them off. The lawsuit dragged on for years, with Taylor offering occasional updates.

Verdict: The lawsuit against Taylor was dropped “pursuant to partis’ Stipulation” in December 2022. It’s unclear if that means that the matter was settled out of court of if the artists came to a different agreement. Either way, the news led fans to believe that 1989 (Taylor’s Version) might be on the way shortly now that it’s no longer in the courtroom.