Carliz De La Cruz, the ex-lover of Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper, has sued him, claiming a voice recording she provided him before he became famous has been used without her permission.
Cruz argued that she is entitled to $40 million in compensation for “negligence and attack on her privacy and dignity.”
According to BBC, Carliz filed a lawsuit against the rapper, claiming he used the catchphrase “Bad Bunny baby” — which she recorded on her phone in 2015 — in two of his songs without her consent.
The line is said to have appeared on the rapper’s 2017 single ‘Pa Ti’ and his 2022 song ‘Dos Mil 16’.
‘Pa Ti’ has raked in more than 355 million views on YouTube and over 235 million plays on Spotify, while ‘Dos Mil 16’ has over 60 million YouTube views and more than 280 million Spotify plays.
According to the legal documents by Carliz’s lawyers, prior to the release of ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’, Bad Bunny’s recent album, the rapper had offered to buy the rights to the line from his ex-lover for $2,000.
She was said to have declined the offer but the album was, however, released with her line on it. ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ was then nominated for album of the year at the Grammy Awards.
Carlos also said that her recordings have been used in concerts, adding that it is a “gross negligence, bad faith and, worse still, an attack on her privacy, morals and dignity.”
In the legal documents, Carliz said harassment from supporters of the 29-year-old rapper has made her “overwhelmed and anxious” while she seeks “psychologists for help”.
The duo dated in 2011 and both worked in a supermarket while Bad Bunny also made music by the side.
They, however, parted ways in 2016.
The rapper’s former lover is also suing Rimas Entertainment, his record label, and Noah Assad, Bad Bunny’s manager.
