From Meghan Markle to Kendall Jenner: 10 of the biggest celebrity lawsuits of all time

In 2019, Meghan Markle filed a lawsuit against Associated Papers, which owns The Mail on Sunday, for copyright infringement, misuse of private information, and breaching the Data Protection act after they published a personal letter between The Duchess of Sussex and her father. In 2021, the court sided with Markle, which meant that the paper firm was ordered to pay her in damages for the invasion of privacy.

A more recent lawsuit saw Ed Sheeran sued by musician Sami Chokri for copyright infringement for his song “Shape of You.” Sami claimed that Ed Sheeran had sampled his 2015 hit “Oh Why” without any permission or credit for the tune. On the 6th of April, Sheeran won the court case, with the judge ruling that he had not plagiarised the song, as Chokri would have had to prove that Ed Sheeran had listened to the piece before releasing the hit “Shape of You” otherwise it was merely just a coincidence.

In 2018, Gwyneth Paltrow found herself at the center of a lawsuit with the California FDMD when Goop made false health claims about Vaginal Yoni Eggs, including improving bladder control. As a result, Paltrow was ordered to pay $145,000 to settle the lawsuit and refund any customer who had purchased the eggs.

Scarlett Johansson recently sued Disney (the owner of Marvel Studios) for releasing the movie Black Widow on their streaming platform Disney+ at the same time as the theatrical release in cinemas. The move from Disney is alleged to have broken the terms of Johansson’s contract and meant that the star lost out on $50 million in bonuses due to the release on the streaming platform. However, the lawsuit did not get taken to court and was settled between Disney and Johansson. Though the settlement terms have not been disclosed publicly, it is thought that Disney may have compensated the star with around $40 million.

Actor Johnny Depp has hit the headlines in recent years due to his ongoing divorce proceedings from his estranged ex-wife Amber Heard. However, in 2020 Depp filed a lawsuit against The Sun for an article they ran in which they called him a “Wife Beater.” During the trial, The Sun had to prove that the claims they had made were, in fact, valid. As a result, Johnny Depp lost his libel case against the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper, with the judge affirming their belief that Depp had assaulted Heard on numerous occasions.

One of the most famous long-running celebrity lawsuits is the conservatorship between Britney and Jamie Spears. The 13-year-long legal battle saw Jamie take charge of the star’s finances, profit from her work, and restrict her decisions. The conservatorship finally ended in November 2021, which meant the star was able to take back her freedom and autonomy from her father and has since gone on to get engaged and pregnant with her third child.

One of the most famous long-running celebrity lawsuits is the conservatorship between Britney and Jamie Spears. The 13-year-long legal battle saw Jamie take charge of the star’s finances, profit from her work, and restrict her decisions. The conservatorship finally ended in November 2021, which meant the star was able to take back her freedom and autonomy from her father and has since gone on to get engaged and pregnant with her third child.

Kelly Clarkson famously filed a lawsuit against her former management company Starstruck Management, owned by her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. The star was first sued for a massive $1.4 million by the company after her divorce but ended up countersuing, claiming that they tried to defraud her out of millions of dollars as there was no legal contract that claimed they were licensed to act as her managers.

In 2017, Kendal Jenner got caught up in a lawsuit that saw her being sued for $90,000 after she endorsed the disastrous Fyre Festival on social media and several other celebrities. Jenner claimed that the festival would be an exotic paradise filled with famous models and first-class experiences. As a result, the star was sued for $90,000 in damages for misleading her followers and failing to disclose that it was a paid promotion.

It’s not just The Duchess of Sussex that has filed a lawsuit against the media. In 2012, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, sued French publication Closer Magazine after they snapped pictures of her while sunbathing at a private villa. The royal family sued the magazine and ordered them to pay $119,000 in damages. At the same time, the editor and owner of Closer also had to pay additional fines of $53,000 each.

In 2014, singer Kesha famously sued Dr. Luke for sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and sought to void all contracts. She said that Sony Music also knew of Dr. Luke’s abuse. The singer has since begun releasing new music under her contract, and the proceedings are still ongoing, with the artist having recently lost an appeal in the defamation ruling.