Drake Says Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance Was “Orchestrated to Assassinate” His Character

Drake has filed an amended complaint in his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, claiming Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performance of “Not Like Us” introduced the song to millions of new listeners and caused “even more people to be duped into believing that Drake was a pedophile.”

The artist’s legal team cited the performance’s viewership (reportedly over 133 million), arguing it broadened the audience for the diss track to those who had “never before heard the song or any of the songs that preceded it. It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist.”

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In the filing, Drake’s lawyers also claimed that, based “on information and belief,” Kendrick purposely omitted the word “pedophile” from the performance because the rapper would not have been allowed to perform at the Super Bowl otherwise.

“That is because nearly everyone understands that it is defamatory to falsely brand someone a ‘certified pedophile,'” the complaint reads, adding the argument that UMG intentionally caused harm to Drake by negotiating and promoting the Super Bowl performance after his initial lawsuit was filed in January.

In a related statement, Drake’s lead attorney, Michael Gottlieb, added: “UMG’s PR ‘spin’ and failed efforts to avoid discovery cannot suppress the facts and the truth. With discovery now moving forward, Drake will expose the evidence of UMG’s misconduct, and UMG will be held accountable for the consequences of its ill-conceived decisions.”

UMG responded to the amended complaint with a lengthy statement (via The Hollywood Reporter) calling the lawsuit “baseless” and claiming Drake was “being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another.”

“Both the Texas and New York proceedings are an affront to all artists and creative expression,” UMG continued. “Should his legal representatives senselessly keep the New York lawsuit alive, we will demonstrate that all remaining claims are without merit. It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous legal theatrics continue. They are reputationally and financially costly to Drake and have no chance of success.

The amended complaint follows a motion filed by Drake last month, in which his lawyers alleged “Not Like Us” has led “millions of people” to believe their client is a pedophile.