LAWSUITS HURT

Lizzo Sues Three Songwriters Claiming Credit for ‘Truth Hurts’

Multiple songwriters have made claims over the hit song’s origins.

Lizzo on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against three songwriters who have claimed they co-wrote “Truth Hurts,” the hit song that has stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks and is just one week away from breaking the record for longest-running No. 1 rap song. Songwriting brothers Justin and Jeremiah Raisen have claimed that they contributed to a writing session for the song in April 2017. Another writer, Yves Rothman, also claims that he contributed to the song during that session. Lizzo's lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment that the Raisens and Rothman had no part in creating the song, and accuses the Raisens of “engaging in a pattern of harassment” against Lizzo.

Claims over the song from a fourth songwriter, however, have been accepted by Lizzo and her management. British singer Mina Lioness claimed that the trademark “DNA test” line in the song originated from her 2017 tweet. The singer has said that Lizzo and her representatives ignored her “whole presence” when she sought credit for the signature line. But on Wednesday, it appeared the alleged dispute ended amicably. Lizzo posted on social media that she has given Lioness writing credit for the phrase, as well as a share of the song’s royalties. “The creator of the tweet is the person I am sharing my success with,” Lizzo wrote. “Not these men. Period.”