Lizzo Hit With Countersuit for Refusing to Credit Songwriters on "Truth Hurts"

Last October, Lizzo sued songwriters Justin and Jeremiah Raisen and Justin “Yves” Rothman, to obtain a determination that they aren’t entitled to be credited for the song. Variety reports that the trio filed their suit on Friday, claiming that “Truth Hurts” is extensively similar to “Healthy,” a song that he allegedly composed with Lizzo and others in 2017.

The Raisens and Rothman’s attorney Lawrence Y. Iser sent a statement to Pitchfork:
 

Lizzo is a talented musician and performer who currently enjoys immense popularity based on a hit song that she did not write alone. The counterclaims we filed today seek a judgment from the court that the song that is now called “Truth Hurts” originated in Justin Raisen’s home recording studio from a collaboration among our clients, Justin and Jeremiah Raisen and Yves Rothman, along with Lizzo and jesse saint john. When the case proceeds to trial, we look forward to sharing the sound recordings, videos, photographs, and musicology that 100 percent prove that collaboration. Our clients deserve their fair share of the recognition and revenue that comes from collaborating on a hit song.

From the standpoint of the industry as a whole, a contrary result would make it impossible for working musicians to be confident that they will be properly credited for their work if they get into a studio and create songs with powerful artists.

The trio’s countersuit says that a musicologist discovered “strikingly similar lyric and musical elements” between the two songs. Both also begin with the line:  “I just did a DNA test / turns out I’m a 100 percent that bitch,” though the following lines differ. The suit also argues that there are other compositional parallels, such as the use of piano, Lizzo’s “vamping,” and how the chorus and verses are arranged.

Lizzo’s attorneys previously said that the Raisens had received a written waiver of rights to “Truth Hurts.” When the dispute initially became public, Lizzo wrote on social media, “The men who now claim a piece of ‘Truth Hurts’ did not help me write any part of the song. They had nothing to do with the line or how I chose to sing it. There was no one in the room when I wrote ‘Truth Hurts,’ except me, Ricky Reed and my tears,” per Variety.

Justin Raisen initially hit Lizzo with the lawsuit in October. Before that, in February 2018, British singer Mina Lioness said she had first tweeted the song's opening line. Lizzo responded by saying she never saw Mina's tweet and that she was inspired by a meme.

Complex has reached out to Lizzo's rep for comment.