Bad Bunny's Ex-Girlfriend Sues Him for $40 Million
Music

Bad Bunny's Ex-Girlfriend Sues Him for $40 Million

Aside from the never-ending speculation about his relationship with Kendall Jenner, Bad Bunny seems to have another thing to worry about: a $40 million lawsuit.

Carliz De La Cruz Hernández, the ex-girlfriend of the megastar, filed a lawsuit this month in Puerto Rico which claims that she recorded the sultry "Bad Bunny, baby" tag which was featured on his songs "Pa Ti" and "Dos Mil 16." The former was released in 2017 in the middle of his rise to stardom, and the latter was released on his latest album, Un Verano Sin Ti. The songs have over 400 million combined views on YouTube and 500 million on Spotify, so it's safe to say that the songs are unnoticed.

The lawsuit also alleges that De La Cruz's “distinguishable voice” has been used without her permission across marketing materials and even in his live show, none of which she has seen a cent of. Also included in the lawsuit is Bad Bunny's manager, Noah Kamil Assad Byrne.

As reported by The Guardian, the lawsuit says: "Since then, thousands of people have commented directly on Carliz’s social media networks, as well as every time she goes to a public place, about the ‘Bad Bunny, baby’. This has caused, and currently causes, that De La Cruz feels worried, anguished, intimidated, overwhelmed and anxious."

As for how the famous line was created, the two began their relationship in 2011. As the soon-to-be star embarked on the early stages of his music career, the lawsuit alleges that he would regularly ask De La Cruz for help. She eventually took on the role of a manager in some ways, helping with his schedule and payments. In 2015, he asked her to record "Bad Bunny, baby" to which she obliged, secluding herself in a friend's bathroom to record and send to him. They eventually broke up in 2016.

According to the lawsuit, De La Cruz received a call from someone on his team in 2022, well into his successful career, to ask if they can buy her voice recording for $2,000. She declined and a deal was never reached. Nonetheless, it was then used in Un Verano Sin Ti, hence the suit.

Moral of the story? Never leave a voicemail unless you're prepared for an ex to sample it and become famous for it. Start charging.

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