Lady Gaga’s Team Denies Claims She Stole ‘Shallow’ From Unknown Songwriter
Lady Gaga is facing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit following accusations she stole her Oscar-winning song “Shallow” from an unknown songwriter. Page Six reported the suit claims the melody of the tune from the Oscar-nominated film A Star Is Born was stolen from a tune that songwriter Steve Ronsen released in 2012 on SoundCloud.
The news outlet stated that Ronsen claims a three-note progression in “Shallow” is based on his song “Almost.” The songwriter and his attorney, Mark D. Shirian, are asking for millions of dollars from Lady Gaga in a settlement.
Lady Gaga has reportedly hired New York City attorney Orin Snyder to represent her in the suit. Page Six reported that in a statement, Snyder explained, “Mr. Ronsen and his lawyer are trying to make easy money off the back of a successful artist. It is shameful and wrong. I applaud Lady Gaga for having the courage and integrity to stand up on behalf of successful artists who find themselves on the receiving end of such [claims]. Should Mr. Shirian proceed with this case, Lady Gaga will fight it vigorously and will prevail.”
Gaga won an Oscar for Best Original Song for the tune in February 2019. She shared the honor alongside fellow songwriters Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt. The singer/songwriter also won a Grammy Award for the tune alongside her film co-star Bradley Cooper in the category of Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Gaga noted in an interview with Variety that she felt “Shallow” was the most authentic of the hundreds of songs she has written in her career. “It’s been kind of shocking and amazing to watch people latch onto that song so much because it’s, I feel for me as an artist, one of the most authentic things I’ve written,” she said.
The song has become synonymous with the movie, which details the love story of fledgling singer/songwriter Ally and fading rock star Jackson Maine. After he discovers Ally singing in a drag bar, Jackson falls for the feisty young woman with the powerful voice and asks her to join him on tour, dragging her out on stage to sing the now-iconic tune in front of a crowd of thousands. In the film, Ally becomes an overnight sensation after years of hard work as a songwriter and performer, and together, she and Jackson stay the course of their love affair despite his alcohol addiction and his jealousy over her blossoming career.
A Star Is Born totaled a worldwide gross of over $434.9 million against a production budget of $36 million, reported The Numbers, a website that tracks theatrical release data.
