UMG is taking an aggressive approach to Drake’s lawsuit, as they are now seeking to have the Texas petition thrown out altogether.
The music label filed a 144-page motion to dismiss, rejecting any allegations of misconduct and labeling Drake’s legal actions as “retaliatory.” The company has requested the petition be dismissed and also asked for a suspension of discovery and legal fees, indicating they do not wish to bear the costs of Drake’s claims. The motion accuses the Toronto artist of “strategic legal retaliation against UMG and others,” also hinting at an “apparent effort to limit the distribution of ‘Not Like Us.'”
The motion was filed just days before a scheduled hearing on January 28th in Bexar County, Texas. Drake’s ongoing defamation lawsuit against UMG remains a point of contention. The label was recently granted a 34-day extension to respond to the lawsuit, citing the wildfires in Los Angeles as a disruption to their legal and executive teams even though the case was filed in Texas.
UMG lawyer Nicholas Crowley explained, “We request this extension because wildfires in Los Angeles have greatly impacted [the] defendant’s executive and legal teams.”
The case is scheduled to resume on March 17th, with Drizzy accusing the label of defamation and more.
