Adam Levine Hurricane Case, Diddy Bail Request, Tyla ‘Water’ Lawsuit & More Top Music Law News

NO GOOD DEED – In 2019, when Adam Levine put the call out on Instagram for donations to help victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, it seems he randomly picked a video of the disaster to highlight the damage.

Turns out he picked the wrong one. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court, Levine was sued for copyright infringement by a very, very litigious company that says it owns the rights to that disaster clip, which was allegedly shot by “professional storm chaser” Michael Brandon Clement

The company, Global Weather Productions LLC, has been on something of a litigation spree in recent years, bringing dozens of such lawsuits against those that allegedly use disaster clips without authorization — including  Reuters, Univision, NewsNation and model Molly Sims.

But with an artist like Levine, the lawsuit says the uncleared use of the clip is particularly egregious: “As a musician and author, defendant has significant experience in copyright matters and is familiar with specific practices including the need to ensure that content used in his posts has been properly licensed.”

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Other top stories this week…

DIDDY WANTS BAIL – Sean “Diddy” Combs asked a federal judge to release him from jail ahead of his October sentencing date, arguing that prostitution customers, or “johns,” are essentially never incarcerated like he’s been: “There has literally never been a case like this one, where a person and his girlfriend arranged for adult men to have consensual sexual relations with the adult long-term girlfriend,” Diddy’s lawyers wrote.

COPYRIGHT CLASH – Tyla was hit with a copyright lawsuit over her 2023 hit “Water,” filed by two collaborators (Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro) who the South African star (Tyla Seethal) has cheated out of royalties by way of a “nefarious” scheme by a lead producer on the track. The case is a big deal because “Water” was a big deal: The July 2023 track spent 29 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 7, and ultimately won a Grammy Award for best African music performance.

BLAME THE VICTIM? GloRilla was arrested in Georgia on charges of felony possession of marijuana — charges levied against her after she was the victim of a home invasion and police allegedly discovered the drugs while responding. Her lawyer, Drew Findling, quickly denounced her arrest, calling it a “disturbing window into how warped law enforcement priorities have become” in 2025: “Ms. Woods is a victim, not a suspect.”

MIC TOSS – Cardi B was hit with an assault lawsuit for throwing a microphone at a fan who splashed the rapper with a drink during a Las Vegas concert in 2023 — a case that claims the superstar actually asked fans to help her cool off during the hot outdoor concert. The incident, captured in a viral video, was reported to local police, who performed a brief criminal investigation but decided not to file charges.

PHOEBE’S REVENGE – If you sue Phoebe Bridgers, you better be sure you’re right. The “Kyoto” singer won another big judgment against Chris Nelson, a recording studio owner who unsuccessfully sued the star for defamation after she accused him of “grooming” and other abuse on social media. A judge ordered Nelson to pay Bridgers $392,070, a fine that came on top of an earlier an earlier judgment of $496,608.

A FIFTH ACCUSER – Another woman filed a police report against Smokey Robinson, widening the criminal investigation that began when four of the Motown legend’s former housekeepers leveled bombshell rape allegations two months ago. Robinson vehemently denies raping anybody and has described his ex-housekeepers’ claims as a cash grab.

MARY HITS BACK – Mary J. Blige fired back at a lawsuit filed earlier this year by her former stylist Misa Hylton, accusing the longtime friend and her lawyers of “fabricating accusations” to try to win a settlement payout. The case claims Blige “sabotaged” Hylton’s management relationship with a rapper, but the star said those claims are so “frivolous” that the stylist and her lawyer should face sanctions for even filing them in the first place.

POSTY CUSTODY BATTLE – Post Malone’s ex-girlfriend, Hee Sung “Jamie” Park, dropped a court petition that sought to move their three-year-old daughter from Utah to California, a move that came after intense opposition from the singer. According to sources, Park agreed to drop the California case as part of a temporary custody settlement that she and Post amicably agreed upon, although they will continue to litigate final custody arrangements in the Utah court.

ANTI-FLAG JUDGMENT – Justin Sane, the former lead singer of defunct political punk band Anti-Flag, was ordered to pay $1.9 million to Kristina Sarhadi, who sued him over accusations of rape. The ruling held Sane (born Justin Geever) liable by default because he failed to respond to the assault and sexual battery lawsuit that Sarhadi filed in 2023.

SAMPLING SPAT – Victory Boyd, a singer who sued Travis Scott, SZA and Future for copyright infringement, filed a new motion disputing that Ye (formerly Kanye West) was a co-writer on the demo that ultimately became the trio’s 2023 hit “Telekinesis.” The new claim came as a response to the superstars’ core defense against Boyd’s lawsuit: That Ye had granted them permission to use the track.

COMEDY LITIGATION – Pandora isn’t required to fork over extra royalties for streaming comedy routines by Robin Williams, Lewis Black and others, according to a new report released as part of a closely-watched lawsuit over how comedians are paid by digital platforms. The report says the comedians gave Pandora an “implied license” to the spoken-word material in their sets — the jokes themselves — by allowing the company to stream sound recordings of their comedy shows for years without protest.

FRAUD SENTENCE – Sean Kingston’s mother, Janice Turner, was sentenced by a federal judge to five years in prison and three years on probation after being convicted along with her son of wire fraud over a scheme to steal more than $1 million in high-end cars, jewelry and other luxury goods. Turner had sought a sentence of less than three years, citing health issues and “minimal criminal history.” Kingston himself is set for sentencing next month.

NOT AGAIN, TEKASHI – Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine pleaded guilty to violating his supervised release by possessing cocaine and MDMA, his second such breach of a plea deal he struck with prosecutors in 2018 to testify against his former Brooklyn gangmates. The new charges stem from a raid on the rapper’s Miami home in March — and came just months after Tekashi admitted to violating his supervised release by taking methamphetamine and traveling to Las Vegas. He’ll be sentenced in September.

GEFFEN DIVORCE DRAMA – Music and film mogul David Geffen was hit with a lawsuit from his estranged husband Donovan Michaels over explosive allegations of paid sex, exploitation and abuse during their brief marriage. His lawyers quickly denied any wrongdoing, calling the case a “false, pathetic lawsuit” that they would defeat in court.