Bad Bunny's ongoing romance with Kendall Jenner has been heating up the headlines for weeks now, but an old flame has unfortunately returned to cause him some trouble. Carliz de la Cruz Hernández doesn't seem to be interfering with the rapper's love life. Still, she is dead set on getting money after her ex non-consensually used an audio clip she previously sent him in various songs. Pitchfork reviewed the new lawsuit, first reported on by NotiCel, reporting that the alleged victim is seeking $40 million in compensation as a result of her property's usage.
The sound bite in question finds Hernández breathily saying, "Bad Bunny, baby." It appears in both 2016's "Pa Ti," and the more recent "Dos Mil 16" from Un Verano Sin Ti. "Thousands of people have commented directly on Carliz’s social media networks, as well as every time she goes to a public place, about ‘Bad Bunny, baby.’ This has caused, and currently causes, de la Cruz to feel worried, anguished, intimidated, overwhelmed and anxious," a rough translation of the Puerto Rican lawsuit reads. Aside from suing her ex, the plaintiff is also going after Rimas Entertainment and Noah Kamil Assad Byrne, the foreign artist's manager.
Bad Bunny's Non-Consensual Voice Memo Usage
Things have obviously turned sour between them now, but Bunny and Hernández were together from 2011 until 2017. They attended the University of Puerto Rico together in 2012, and at the time, he was reportedly writing songs – many of which he sought his girlfriend's input on. Aside from sharing her thoughts, the 29-year-old also allegedly took on the responsibility of handling invoices, overseeing contracts, and scheduling events and performances for her beau.
According to the plaintiff, one of Benito Ocasio's representatives got in contact last May, seeking her permission to use her voice memo. At the time, Hernández refused a $2,000 offer, instead asking to discuss a contract for licensing her voice. She later met up with the representative to hear the song it would appear on and ultimately refused, saying she felt uncomfortable moving forward. Regardless, Bunny and his team moved forward with releasing the track on his latest album, which has since received plenty of praise from fans.
Bad Bunny's Former Lover Comes for His Millions
"Since de la Cruz made it clear that she did not consent to its use, its publication constituted an act of gross negligence, bad faith, and, worse still, an attack on their privacy, morals, and dignity since all parties had and still have knowledge of these facts and even so decided to be reckless and break the law," Hernández's lawsuit states. "Likewise, the publication of the song ‘Dos Mil 16’ without the consent of Carliz was carried out intentionally, in bad faith and for profit." Do you think that Bad Bunny's ex deserves his millions? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more music news updates.