A French music artist is reportedly suing Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty lingerie brand for playing a song that sampled a Hadith at a fashion show last year. (Hadiths are records of the traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad and are sacred to Muslims.)
Savage x Fenty is owned by Lavender Lingerie LLC, a joint venture between Rihanna and TechStyle Fashion Group. It is not affiliated with cosmetic brand Fenty, which is a partnership between the singer and LVMH.
“DOOM” was crafted five years ago by Coucou Chloé, whose real name is Erika Jane. After the Savage x Fenty show made its streaming debut last October, Chloé posted a public apology "for the offence caused by the vocal samples used in my song ‘DOOM’.
“The song was created using samples from Baile Funk tracks I found online. At the time, I was not aware that these samples used text from an Islamic Hadith.”
She added: “I take full responsibility for the fact I did not research these words properly and want to thank those of you who have taken the time to explain this to me. We have been in the process of having the song urgently removed from all streaming platforms.”
According to TMZ, the lawsuit was filed anonymously because the plaintiff claims she had to go into hiding due to death threats, which have also caused her depression and anxiety.
She alleges she specifically asked that a version of “DOOM” without the sample be used in the show.
At the time, Rihanna called it “a huge oversight” and a “careless mistake.” In an Instagram Story she said “the use of the song in our project was completely irresponsible!”
The lawsuit seeks $10 million U.S. in damages. None of the allegations have been tested in court and reps for Rihanna have not commented.