March 22, 2023: Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny is sued by his ex-girlfriend for over $40 million over claims he utilizes a recording of her voice without permission or compensation.

Carli De La Cruz Hernández claims that in 2015, before her split with Bad Bunny, whose actual name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio and before his increase to international fame, she further stated, “Bad Bunny baby” on her phone.

That voice recording, she stated, has been used on two of the Grammy-award-winning artist’s songs, his single “Pa Ti” and the 2022 song “Dos Mil 16.” The tracks have 200 million plays each on Spotify and showing on the chart-topping album “Un Verano Sin Ti”.

According to court files in Puerto Rico earlier this month, De La Cruz said she was coming up with the phrase, and her “distinguishable voice” was used without her permission. Her lawyers are arguing Bad Bunny’s violating Puerto Rico’s “Law of the Right to the Image.”

“Many people have stated directly on Carliz’s social media networks, and every time she is going to a public place, near ‘Bad Bunny, baby,'” the lawsuit states. “This has caused causes, De La Cruz to feel worried, intimidated, overwhelmed and anxious.”

According to the lawsuit, de la Cruz and Bad Bunny have been dating since 2011. She purposely stated in the court documents that Bad Bunny offered her $2,000 to purchase the recording in 2022, but she declined. According to the lawsuit, a deal was never hit, and he went ahead and used to record without her showing permission.

De la Cruz is now seeking nearly $40 million.

Bad Bunny, 29, has not publicly stated the lawsuit. His label, Rimas Entertainment, and his main manager, Noah Kamil Assad Byrne, have been named in the suit.

Bad Bunny increased to prominence in 2018 after the featured on the Cardi B chart-topper “I Like It.” He’s since been one of the most prolific hitmakers in Latin music and was the most-streamed artist on Spotify for the previous three years.

Bad Bunny is setting the headline for the 2023 Coachella music festival for the coming month.