Kelsea Ballerini is taking legal action against a former fan who allegedly leaked unfinished, unreleased music after hacking the country singer.
People reports that Ballerini, 30, has filed for a temporary restraining order against a man named Bo Ewing. According to court documents People obtained, Ballerini claims Ewing shared “still-in-production, unreleased masters and demos” of her music that he allegedly obtained illegally “through gaining back-door access to the device of either, or both” Ballerini and producer Alysa Vanderheym.
Vanderheym and Ballerini’s record label, Black River Entertainment, are both listed as plaintiffs alongside Ballerini in the filing.
Court documents identify Ewing as a “former member” of Ballerini’s fan club who has “become disenfranchised” with the singer-songwriter.
The legal filing alleges that Ewing has already shared the unfinished music with multiple parties. The plaintiffs have obtained an injunction to prevent “continued, irreparable harm” from any further unauthorized dissemination of the unfinished, unreleased recordings.
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“Protection of an artist’s music is of the upmost importance,” a representative for Ballerini tells People. “Artists spend countless hours perfecting their craft and telling their stories through their music. Stealing and sharing unfinished music is illegal and harms the integrity of the creative process.”
Ballerini most recently hosted the 2024 CMT Awards on April 7. She is nominated for both Album of the Year and Female Artist of the Year in the upcoming 2024 ACM Awards, which are slated to take place at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, and stream live on Prime Video on Thursday, May 16, at 8PM ET/ 7PM CT/ 5PM PT.
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