Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty ImagesGwen Stefani's former hairstylist is not a fan of her 2014 song "Spark the Fire"—mostly because he says he wrote it and got no credit!
E! News obtained the documents in which Richard Morrill is suing the former No Doubt singer for $25 million, claiming she stole his lyrics for the pop hit she collaborated on with Pharrell Williams. In fact, he's also suing the producer for not "supervising Stefani" in the writing process.
In the docs, Morrill claims he gave Stefani a copy of his song "Who's Got My Lightah" in 1998 after she heard it on the sound system while he was styling her hair. He helped write and record the song for his band L.A.P.D. at the time and says she copied the chorus for the 2014 hit, changing "Who's got my lightah," into "Who got the lighter? Let's spark the fire," pronouncing fire as"fi-ya."
He also says the rhythm, melody, and background music during the chorus—which is repeated four times throughout the song—of "Spark the Fire" is almost identical to the chorus of "Who's Got My Lighter," and they are sung in the same key.
Morrill explained that he knows Stefani wrote the chorus because, in a 2014 interview with Elle magazine, she said Williams wrote the majority of the song except for the chorus, which she was responsible for.
He also claims they've made at least $25 million directly and indirectly. Thus, he's asking them to pay him all damages due to "their unlawful acts" with prejudgment interest as well as account for and pay all gains and profits that they have "enjoyed at his expense." He is also asking them pay for the cost of "corrective advertising necessary due to harm to the exclusivity of the copyright and other misleading aspects of Defendants' actions."
Finally, he's asking them to account for his costs and attorneys' fees, as allowed by law.