Ariana Grande wins court approval to unmask music hackers

Ariana Grande has secured a major legal win in her effort to identify the hackers behind a string of leaked songs and studio footage.

Ariana Grande has secured a major legal win in her effort to identify the hackers behind a string of leaked songs and studio footage. A Los Angeles judge approved her request for expedited discovery this week.

According to Variety, the singer received court approval on Tuesday to gather information that could help identify those accused of leaking her unreleased music, recording-session footage and music videos.

Judge Mark H. Epstein explained that since Grande currently has no way of identifying the hackers, waiting out the standard notice period made little practical sense. He ruled that the case showed sufficient merit to proceed without delay.

During the hearing, Grande’s legal team asked the court to fast-track access to information tied to the unidentified defendants. They argued that without swift action, her unreleased material remains at continued risk of theft, leaks or unauthorised sale.

Her lawyers also raised concerns that crucial identifying details could disappear the longer the case waited. They requested permission to involve third-party platforms believed to hold data linked to the alleged hackers.

The court granted that request, agreeing that the standard waiting period served no real purpose given the circumstances. According to the judge’s written order, Grande cannot realistically identify or serve the defendants without this expedited discovery process.

The case traces back to a lawsuit Grande filed on July 28, 2026, after unidentified hackers reportedly gained access to a collaborator’s computer. That breach allegedly exposed unreleased music and studio content later sold on the dark web for substantial sums.

Court documents cited a particularly damaging incident in 2023, when 45 of Grande’s unreleased songs were leaked at once. The filing noted that hundreds of similar leaks have occurred since her music career began in 2011.

With this latest ruling now in place, Grande’s legal team can move forward with efforts to trace and formally identify the individuals responsible for the leaks.