Lizzo Sets the Record Straight on "Truth Hurts" After Being Accused of Plagiarism

“Good as Hell” singer fires back after producers take issue with an unforgettable lyric

By Mike Vulpo Oct 23, 2019 6:27 PMTags
Lizzo, We Can SurviveKevin Winter/Getty Images for RADIO.COM

UPDATE: Lizzo's team is fighting back against any and all allegations of plagiarism. 

"Today we filed a lawsuit on Lizzo's behalf to establish, in a court of law, that the Raisens are not writers of Truth Hurts and have no right to profit from the song's success.  The Raisens did not collaborate with Lizzo or anyone else to create the song, and they did not help write any of the material that they now seek to profit from, which is why they expressly renounced any claim to the work, in writing, months ago, as the lawsuit makes abundantly clear," Lizzo's attorney Cynthia Arato said in a statement to E! News. "Although it is all too commonplace for successful artists to be subjected to these type of opportunistic claims, it is nevertheless disappointing that Lizzo had to take this step to put an end to the Raisens' false claims and their campaign of harassment."

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The truth always prevails!

As Lizzo continues to travel the country on a sold-out headlining tour, the music superstar is being accused of plagiarism.

Music producer Justin Raisen posted a video on Instagram comparing "Truth Hurts" to a song called "Healthy" that he wrote with Lizzo in 2017. According to the song writer, the two songs share an opening line—"I just took a DNA test, turns out I'm 100% that bitch"—as well as a similar melody that is sung in a different key.

Ultimately, Lizzo decided to set the record straight in her own Instagram post Wednesday morning.

"Hey y'all…as I've shared before, in 2017, while working on a demo, I saw a meme that resonated with me, a meme that made me feel like 100% that bitch. I sang that line in the demo, and I later used the line in ‘Truth Hurts,'" she wrote to her followers. "The men who now claim a piece of ‘Truth Hurts' did not help me write any part of the song."

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Lizzo continued, "They had nothing to do with the line or how I chose to sing it. There was no one in the room when I wrote ‘Truth Hurts,' except me, Ricky Reed, and my tears. That song is my life, and its words are my truth."

According to the singer, she learned that a tweet inspired the meme. As a result, "the creator of the tweet is the person I am sharing my success with…not these men. Period."

"Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my song. XOXO," she concluded her statement.

"Truth Hurts" was released in 2017 but reached the top of the United States charts last month. In fact, many consider it to be her biggest hit to date.

Along with her music career, she has appeared in the movie Hustlers and had been a champion of body positivity.

"I want people to feel good! We can heal the world but first, we have to heal ourselves," Lizzo told fans while performing at CBS Radio's We Can Survive this past weekend at the Hollywood Bowl. "Your energy is important."