Judge Allows Missy Elliott Co-Writing Lawsuit Despite ‘Heartbroken’ Victory

A lawsuit involving Missy Elliott and a co-writing credit dispute will go to trial despite a recent decision that claims she improperly credited Terry Williams as a co-writer on Aaliyah’s 1996 track “Heartbroken.”

On Tuesday, Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro denied Elliott’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. According to Elliott’s attorneys, she and Williams had not met when four of the five disputed songs were produced. Billboard reports that these tracks were part of Sista, the R&B group that launched Elliott’s career in the 1990s.

Judge Alejandro noted that conflicting arguments and evidence create a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether Williams and Elliott collaborated during the production of the Sista album. The judge highlighted the unresolved questions around Williams’ contributions and their potential use on derivative songs released on the album.

While the judge denied Elliott’s request for summary judgment, which would have resolved the case without a full trial, Williams did not win the lawsuit outright. The case will proceed to trial, where Williams must substantiate his claims before a jury.

Elliott did, however, secure a minor victory when the judge dismissed Williams’ claim regarding his co-writing credit for “Heartbroken,” released by Aaliyah in 1996. The ruling stated that Williams’ delay in pursuing his claim until 2018 fell outside the statute of limitations.

Judge Alejandro pointed out that given the success of Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” album, where “Heartbroken” appears, and Williams’ ongoing work in the music industry, it would be reasonable to expect Williams to have been aware of the alleged use of his work.

Before she became renowned as a producer, songwriter, emcee, singer, and visionary, Missy Elliott emerged on the music scene as a member of Sista, a group formed in the late ’80s initially named Fayze. Alongside LaShawn Shellman, Chonita Coleman, and Radiah Scott, Elliott contributed as both a singer and a songwriter.

As of now, neither Williams nor Elliott has commented on the upcoming trial regarding the co-writing allegations.

Source: Billboard