Drake
UMG Defamation Case Dismissed
Published October 9, 2025 1:35 PM PDT
Drake has suffered a significant legal setback against Universal Music Group, as a federal court dismissed his defamation suit against them.
New legal documents acquired by TMZ reveal that the judge decided “the supposedly defamatory remarks in ‘Not Like Us’ are nonactionable opinion.” This means Drake is unable to pursue a defamation case regarding the lyrics.
As previously reported, Drake was pursuing legal action against UMG for endorsing Kendrick Lamar‘s scathing diss track, claiming UMG was aware that the lyrics and visuals depicting him as a pedophile were false and harmful.
The judge explained that “even claims of criminal conduct may be deemed nonactionable if they are opinion rather than fact when understood in context.”
TMZ.com
Essentially, the ruling suggests that because the allegations are part of a diss track—rather than a journalistic piece—the average listener would not perceive them as fact, hence Drake’s inability to sue.
The judge further noted that listeners typically do not expect diss tracks to stem from objective analysis or research.
The court pointed out that Kendrick’s line about pedophilia was a direct reference to Drake’s previous diss, “Taylor Made Freestyle.”
A representative from Universal Music Group remarked to TMZ that “this lawsuit was an attack on all artists and their artistic expression and should never have been filed. We are pleased with the court’s decision and look forward to continuing our efforts to promote Drake’s work and support his career.”
We have reached out to Drake for a comment but have not yet received a response.
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