Chloe Bailey is facing legal trouble after being accused of failing to compensate a songwriter and producer for his contributions to her Trouble In Paradise album.
According to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone, songwriter Melvin Moore—professionally known as 4Rest—filed a lawsuit on Thursday (Feb. 20) against Bailey, Columbia Records, Sony Music, and Parkwood Entertainment. The 33-page lawsuit alleges that Bailey “exploited” Moore’s work without proper credit or compensation.
Songwriter Claims His Work Was “Misappropriated”
Moore asserts that three tracks from Trouble In Paradise—Favorite, Might as Well, and Same Lingerie—were inspired by his real-life experiences, emotions, and personal struggles. He claims that despite his significant emotional and creative investment, he has yet to receive rightful credit or payment.
The lawsuit further alleges that Bailey and others involved in the project “misappropriated” his contributions by falsely registering the songs under their names. Additionally, Moore claims that his work was commercially exploited across multiple revenue-generating platforms without his authorization.
As part of the legal action, Moore is seeking $5 million in punitive damages per song, along with $150,000 for each alleged instance of willful copyright infringement.
Attempts to Resolve the Dispute Privately
Moore states that he initially attempted to address the issue privately with Bailey’s team, but his efforts were met with delays and avoidance. His legal team even issued a formal cease-and-desist letter citing a DMCA violation. However, he claims Bailey continued to promote two of the disputed songs on her social media platforms.