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Pop sensation Lizzo has been struck with a fresh wave of controversy — this time not over body-shaming lawsuits or viral lyrics, but an accusation of copyright theft tied to an unreleased track she teased online.

According to a complaint filed Tuesday in California federal court, The GRC Trust claims the Grammy-winning artist lifted musical and lyrical elements from the 2013 composition “Win or Lose (We Tried)” without permission.

The lawsuit alleges that Lizzo — whose real name is Melissa Jefferson — and her label Atlantic Records “incorporated, interpolated, and sampled instrumental and vocal components” from the copyrighted song into her unreleased work, reportedly titled “I’m Goin’ In Till October” or “Good Jeans.”

Viral Snippet Sparks Lawsuit

The spark for the Lizzo Copyright Theft Suit came from a now-deleted clip Lizzo shared on TikTok and Instagram in August, where she referenced actress Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle denim campaign with the lyric:

“I got good jeans like I’m Sydney.”

The post went viral before vanishing — but not before catching the attention of GRC Trust, which claims Lizzo’s track carried “striking similarities” to “Win or Lose (We Tried).”

The trust asserts that Lizzo and her team “continued to exploit the infringing work for commercial gain” despite knowing or recklessly ignoring GRC’s copyright ownership, which is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Settlement Talks Collapsed

According to the complaint, the parties attempted to resolve the issue privately, but negotiations reached an impasse, forcing GRC to pursue litigation.

GRC accuses Lizzo and Atlantic of willful copyright infringement, demanding a court order barring further use of the song, the disgorgement of all profits from the alleged infringement, and compensation for losses stemming from the copied work.

The trust claims Lizzo’s access to “Win or Lose (We Tried)” is proven by the “striking similarity” between the compositions — a key legal standard in copyright disputes.

Lizzo’s History With Music Ownership Battles

This isn’t Lizzo’s first brush with intellectual property controversy. In 2019, she faced accusations from songwriters Justin and Jeremiah Raisen and Justin “Yves” Rothman, who claimed she plagiarized parts of her smash hit “Truth Hurts.” Lizzo responded by filing her own suit and ultimately prevailed, with the court affirming her copyright ownership.

Then in 2023, Lizzo scored another legal win when the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) granted her the right to trademark her viral phrase “100% That Bitch.” The board acknowledged that while the phrase circulated online before her hit song, Lizzo was the one who “elevated it to memorable status.”

Legal Teams and Next Steps

The GRC Trust is represented by Scott Alan Burroughs and Nelson Campbell of Doniger Burroughs. Legal counsel for Lizzo and Atlantic Records has not yet been disclosed, and representatives for the singer have not commented on the case.

The new lawsuit adds another chapter to Lizzo’s complex legal history — one that now tests not only her lyrical authenticity but the boundaries between inspiration and infringement in the ever-evolving world of pop music.