Gwen Stefani sued for $25 mn
Los Angeles, Jan 14 (IANS) Gwen Stefani’s former hairstylist Richard Morrill is reportedly suing the singer for $25 million, claiming she stole his lyrics for the 2014 hit song “Spark the fire”.
In fact, he is also suing the producer for not “supervising Stefani” in the writing process.
In the documents, obtained by eonline.com, Morrill claims he gave Stefani a copy of his song “Who’s got my lightah” in 1998 after she heard it on the sound system while he was styling her hair.
He helped write and record the song for his band L.A.P.D. at the time and says she copied the chorus for the 2014 song, changing “Who’s got my lightah”, into “Who got the lighter? Let’s spark the fire”.
He also says the rhythm, melody, and background music during the chorus, which is repeated four times throughout the song “Spark the fire”, is almost identical to the chorus of “Who’s got my lighter”, and they are sung in the same key.
She had collaborated with rapper-record producer Pharrell Williams for the song.
Morrill explained that he knows Stefani wrote the chorus because, in a 2014 interview with Elle magazine, she said Williams wrote the majority of the song except for the chorus, which she was responsible for.
He also claims they have made at least $25 million directly and indirectly. Thus, he is asking them to pay him all damages due to “their unlawful acts” with pre-judgment interest as well as account for and pay all gains and profits that they have “enjoyed at his expense”.
He is also asking them to pay for the cost of “corrective advertising necessary due to harm to the exclusivity of the copyright and other misleading aspects of Defendants’ actions”.
He is even asking them to account for his costs and attorneys’ fees as allowed by law.