Rachel Scharf

The legal battle between A$AP Relli and A$AP Rocky continues on despite Rocky’s acquittal on felony shooting charges. We've got a civil assault trial on tap in January, and a judge refused Thursday to throw out Relli's defamation suit against Rocky and lawyer Joe Tacopina.

Dove deep into court records to untangle the origin of a real estate development underlying Calvin Harris' fraud claims against his former business manager. It turns out the project was originally thought up to ease tax liabilities on a $90 million catalog sale.

Michael Jackson Estate Identifies ‘Extortionate’ Abuse Accuser as ‘My Friend Michael’ Author Michael Jackson’s abuse accuser is the author of the book "My Friend Michael," Frank Cascio, his estate claims in a new court filing.

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Jackson’s estate is ratcheting up allegations that a recent child abuse accuser fabricated his claims for a payday. New papers identify the man as a music manager and author of the 2011 memoir "My Friend Michael."

www.billboard.com/pro/michael-...

Halle Bailey Says Her Mental Health Is Under Control and Slams DDG for Embellishing in Custody Case Halle Bailey has slammed DDG’s claim that her mental health history is a risk to their child amid the couple's bitter child custody case.

Halle Bailey Says Her Mental Health Is Under Control and Slams DDG for Embellishing in Custody Case

Jimmy Buffett’s Widow Sues to Replace Business Manager Handling $275M Estate Jimmy Buffett’s widow Jane has filed a court petition asking to replace her co-trustee on the late singer-songwriter’s $275 million estate.

Jimmy Buffett’s Widow Sues to Replace Business Manager Handling $275M Estate

Salt-N-Pepa Sues UMG to Regain Masters, Says Label Is Holding Catalog ‘Hostage’ Salt-N-Pepa filed a lawsuit to get the duo's music masters back from its record label UMG, saying the company is violating copyright law.

Salt-N-Pepa is taking UMG to court to regain control of their masters, saying the label is refusing to honor copyright clawback rights and has instead “punished” the legendary hip-hop act by removing some of its music from streaming.

www.billboard.com/pro/salt-n-p...

Live Nation, AEG Face Criminal Antitrust Probe Over Pandemic Refund Policies Live Nation and AEG are facing a criminal investigation over the companies' pandemic refunds. The DOJ is investigating whether the companies colluded.

DOJ is conducting a criminal investigation into whether Live Nation and AEG illegally colluded in their concert refund policies at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Live Nation confirmed as it denied any wrongdoing.

www.billboard.com/pro/live-nat...

Smokey Robinson Faces Criminal Rape Investigation After Former Housekeepers File Police Report Smokey Robinson is facing a criminal investigation for sexual assault claims filed against him in a civil lawsuit by four housekeepers.

Housekeepers suing Smokey Robinson for sexual assault have now filed a police report, leading the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to open a criminal investigation on top of the bombshell civil claims filed against the 85-year-old Motown legend.

www.billboard.com/pro/smokey-r...

Taylor Swift’s Lawyers Fight Subpoena from Justin Baldoni in Blake Lively Legal Battle Taylor Swift’s lawyers are fighting Justin Baldoni's subpoena in his lawsuit against Blake Lively, asking a court to throw it out in a new filing.

NEW: Taylor Swift’s longtime lawyers are asking a court to throw out a subpoena they were served by Justin Baldoni in his feud with Blake Lively, just a few days after Swift’s own reps slammed Baldoni for targeting the pop star with a similar subpoena.

www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-s...

Taylor Swift Subpoenaed in Legal Feud Between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Taylor Swift has been subpoenaed in the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni legal fight over the film "It Ends With Us" and its aftermath.

Taylor Swift has been hit with a subpoena officially dragging her into the legal drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Swift's reps aren't happy, slamming the move for "creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.”

www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-s...

Lil Durk Denied Jail Release After Lyrics Axed From Murder-For-Hire Indictment Lil Durk lost a request to get out of jail while awaiting a murder-for-hire trial, even after prosecutors removed rap lyrics from the indictment.

A judge denied Lil Durk’s latest request to be released from jail as he awaits trial on murder-for-hire charges, unswayed that the Chicago drill star’s circumstances have dramatically changed following the removal of rap lyrics from his indictment.

www.billboard.com/pro/lil-durk...

Smokey Robinson Says ‘Vile, False’ Rape Suit Is Just A Money Grab Smokey Robinson has denied sexual assault claims, saying the "vile, false allegations" are merely "an ugly method of trying to extract money."

Smokey Robinson has denied shocking new claims of sexual assault, saying through his attorney that the “vile, false allegations” are merely “an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon.”

www.billboard.com/pro/smokey-r...

Smokey Robinson Hit With $50M Lawsuit Claiming He Sexually Assaulted Four Housekeepers Smokey Robinson was hit with a sexual assault lawsuit by four housekeepers who claim the singer assaulted them during their employment.

My first story for @billboard.com: Smokey Robinson and his wife have been hit with an explosive new lawsuit that seeks $50 million in damages over claims that the legendary Motown singer repeatedly raped four housekeepers over nearly two decades.

www.billboard.com/pro/smokey-r...

It's my first day as a senior writer at @billboard.com, where I'll be covering all things legal within the music industry. So excited to dive into this beat! Say hi: rscharf@billboard.com

Personal news: It's my last day at Law360. I'm so grateful to have begun my journalism career here, and I'll miss all my colleagues in NY, LA and elsewhere. I'll still be on the legal beat - more on that soon.

My final story for Law360 is a classic:
www.law360.com/articles/232...

Jay-Z's New Evidence May Save Claim Buzbee Tried Extortion - Law360 A California state court judge said Wednesday that new evidence submitted by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter "has thrown a monkey wrench" in his analysis of the rapper's feud with personal injury lawyer Tony Buz...

From today's Jay-Z v. Buzbee hearing in LA: The judge said Jay-Z's new evidence "has thrown a monkey wrench" in his analysis of the rapper's feud with personal injury atty Tony Buzbee, and he's now inclined to keep alive an extortion claim.

www.law360.com/articles/231...

Soulja Boy Beat And Raped Assistant, Jury Told As Trial Starts - Law360 UK The artist known as Soulja Boy physically and sexually abused a live-in personal assistant for nearly two years, jurors in California state court heard on the first day of a civil assault and employme...

My story on opening statements today: www.law360.com/articles/231...

trial resumes after the weekend.

I'm in Santa Monica court, where a civil trial is about to begin against DeAndre Cortez Way AKA Soulja Boy. The rapper's ex-assistant/girlfriend alleges recurrent physical and sexual abuse.

A previous domestic abuse trial against Soulja Boy ended with a $500K verdict in 2023.

BREAKING: Disney Unit Wins Copyright Trial Over 'Moana' Film - Law360 A Los Angeles federal jury handed a win Monday to a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Co. in a copyright infringement trial over the 2016 blockbuster "Moana," rejecting a claim that the movie ripped off a...

www.law360.com/articles/230...

BREAKING: Jurors in LA federal court just returned a verdict clearing a Disney subsidiary of infringing artist Buck Woodall's work "Bucky" to make the hit animated movie "Moana."

Disney Slams Paltry Evidence As 'Moana' IP Trial Nears End - Law360 Counsel for a unit of The Walt Disney Co. urged a California federal judge to enter judgment in their favor as a copyright trial wound to a close Thursday, saying an artist has theories but no actual ...

NOW: Jurors in LA federal court are deliberating over whether Disney's "Moana" ripped off the work of animator Buck Woodall. The trial lasted two weeks, and delibs began an hour ago.

Background: www.law360.com/articles/230...

Disney Animator Tells Jury 'Moana' Was His Original Idea - Law360 A longtime animation director for The Walt Disney Co. testified in California federal court Tuesday that his blockbuster movie "Moana" was inspired by Polynesian mythology and extensive research into the region and its culture, not the work of another artist now suing for copyright infringement.

A longtime animation director for The Walt Disney Co. testified that blockbuster movie "Moana" was inspired by Polynesian mythology and extensive research into the region and its culture, not the work of another artist now suing for copyright infringement. www.law360.com/artic...

Film Exec Testifies She Felt 'Set Up' By 'Moana' IP Claims - Law360 A movie executive told a California federal jury on Monday that she never shared a distant family member's script with The Walt Disney Co., and that she later felt "set up" and pressured to lie for th...

A movie executive told an LA jury Monday that she never shared a distant family member's script with The Walt Disney Co., and that she later felt "set up" and pressured to lie for this relative's copyright suit over the blockbuster animated film "Moana."

www.law360.com/california/a...

Disney Pilfered Animator's 'Life Work' For 'Moana,' Jury Told - Law360 Counsel for an animation artist told jurors on the first day of a California federal court trial Wednesday that The Walt Disney Co. stole his magnum opus to develop the blockbuster movie "Moana" witho...

An animation artist's attorney told jurors on the first day of an LA federal court trial Wednesday that Disney stole his magnum opus to develop "Moana," while Disney said the 2016 blockbuster was entirely original.

www.law360.com/articles/230...

LA Gardasil Trial Against Merck Bagged After 3 Weeks - Law360 A Los Angeles state court trial over the alleged dangers of Merck & Co. Inc.'s human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil was abruptly called off after three weeks of testimony, with a new panel of jur...

An LA trial over the alleged dangers of Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil was abruptly called off after three weeks of testimony. Plaintiffs say this was due to bias concerns around RFK Jr.'s confirmation. Merck claims its because they were winning.

www.law360.com/california/a...

Diddy, Jay-Z Rape Lawsuit Dropped Amid Legal Ethics Battle - Law360 An anonymous woman on Friday dropped her New York federal court lawsuit accusing Sean "Diddy" Combs and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter of raping a teenager together, claims that launched a bitter ethics feud be...

An anonymous woman dropped her lawsuit accusing Sean "Diddy" Combs and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter of raping a teenager together, claims that launched a bitter ethics feud between personal injury attorney Tony Buzbee and Jay-Z's lawyers at Quinn Emanuel.
www.law360.com/employment/a...

Former Marvel Exec Sues Disney For 'Old White Guy' Bias - Law360 The former co-president of Marvel Entertainment has filed a discrimination lawsuit in California state court alleging he was passed over for a promotion to lead the consumer products division of paren...

Former Marvel Entertainment co-president Rob Steffens filed a discrimination lawsuit in LA alleging he was passed over for a promotion to lead the consumer products division of parent company Disney because he is an "old white guy."

www.law360.com/media/articl...

DOJ Brass Want Bribery Charges Against NYC Mayor Dropped - Law360 The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to drop public corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, an extraordinary development in the wake of a public courtship between the embattled ...

Late in the day New York news drop = I return to my former beat from Law360's west coast desk.

www.law360.com/compliance/a...

SoCal Edison Says Its Equipment May Have Caused Hurst Fire - Law360 Southern California Edison told a state energy regulator that it believes its utility equipment might have ignited last month's Hurst Fire in northern Los Angeles County, but it's still investigating ...

SoCal Edison told a state energy regulator that it believes its utility equipment might have ignited last month's Hurst Fire in northern Los Angeles County, but that it's still investigating the cause of the area's far more destructive Eaton Fire.

www.law360.com/articles/229...

Will NFL Let Kendrick Call Drake A Pedophile At Super Bowl? - Law360 As Kendrick Lamar prepares to take the stage for this Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show, lawyers for the National Football League and Fox Sports must decide whether to censor the lyrics of his viral h...

Today in @law360.bsky.social I ask the important question: "Will lawyers for the NFL and Fox Sports let Kendrick call Drake a pedophile at the Super Bowl?" Experts are torn. Check it out.

www.law360.com/corporate/ar...