- Bad Bunny is being sued by his ex-girlfriend, according to NotiCel and the Associated Press.
- Carliz De La Cruz Hernández claims the singer used her voice on two of his songs without permission.
Bad Bunny is being sued for $40 million by his ex-girlfriend, Carliz De La Cruz Hernández, for using a voice recording of her in two of his songs, according to Puerto Rican publication NotiCel, and the Associated Press.
A recording of De La Cruz saying, "Bad Bunny, baby," in a breathy voice has been used by the Puerto Rican artist in both his 2016 single "Pa Ti" and his 2022 song "Dos Mil 16." The two songs are nearing 1 billion combined streams on YouTube and Spotify.
Per NotiCel and AP, the lawsuit, filed in March in a Puerto Rican court, states that De La Cruz's "distinguishable voice" has been used without her permission on the songs, as well as for promotions, at concerts, and on television, radio, social media, and musical platforms.
"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.' This has caused, and currently causes, De La Cruz to feel worried, anguished, intimidated, overwhelmed and anxious," reads the lawsuit, according to NotiCel.
Bad Bunny's manager, Noah Kamil Assad Byrne, is also listed in the suit, as is record label Rimas Entertainment, it's reported.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and De La Cruz dated between 2011 and 2017.
The lawsuit claims, according to NotiCel, that the voice recording of De La Cruz was made at Bad Bunny's request in a friend's bathroom in 2015.
The suit also claims that early in their relationship and time together at the University of Puerto Rico, De La Cruz was in charge of handling invoices, managing contracts, and scheduling events for the singer.
De La Cruz claims in the lawsuit that a representative for Bad Bunny contacted her in May 2022 offering her $2,000 for the rights to her "Bad Bunny, baby" vocal, said the reports.
De La Cruz reportedly declined, but she claims someone at Rimas Entertainment then also offered to buy the recording, saying it would be used in Bad Bunny's upcoming album, "Un Verano Sin Ti," which in February scooped a Grammy for best música urbana album.
"De La Cruz reiterated that the only way to formalize an agreement is if this was done in writing," reads the lawsuit, according to NotiCel.
Representatives for Bad Bunny did not immediately respond to a request for comment.