Missy Elliott is finally putting a longstanding songwriting lawsuit to bed after a years-long court battle.
The Grammy-winning rapper and producer has officially settled with Terry Williams, who claimed he co-wrote songs on Elliott’s first major project, “All the Sistas Around Da World.” The 1994 project, released by Elliott’s R&B group Sista, was a commercial disappointment and shelved shortly after its debut, only resurfacing in 2017, with restored appreciation from Missy fans. Despite its lack of initial success, Williams maintained that he was wrongly axed out of the credits for four tracks.
Elliott strongly denied the allegations, asserting in legal documents that she did not even meet Williams until after the album had already been recorded. The settlement was reached in Philadelphia federal court during a sidebar with U.S. District Judge Nitza Quiñones Alejandro, right as jurors were set to be brought in for trial.
Neither party disclosed financial terms, though Elliott’s attorney confirmed that a court order will soon outline the agreement.
The resolution caps off nearly seven years of litigation that spanned multiple courts and defendants. Williams initially filed his lawsuit in 2018 against Elliott, Timbaland, the late Aaliyah’s estate, and several record labels, also alleging co-authorship of Aaliyah’s track “Heartbroken” from “One in a Million.” Judge Quiñones later dismissed the Aaliyah claims, as well as those against Timbaland, leaving Elliott as the final defendant in the case.
Now, the famed rapper can focus on her many endeavors, including her partnership with Adidas and the music her supporters love.
