Rick Astley sues Yung Gravy, claiming he 'flagrantly' imitated his voice on song 'Betty (Get Money)'

Emlyn Travis
·3 min read

Rick Astley is no stranger to love and, now, the courtroom.

On Thursday, the "Never Gonna Give You Up" singer sued rapper Yung Gravy over his 2022 track "Betty (Get Money)," claiming that the song — which heavily interpolates Astley's now meme-ified hit — violates both federal trademark law and Astley's right of publicity by mimicking his voice without his consent.

In legal documents obtained by EW, Astley's lawyers allege that Gravy, real name Matthew Hauri, "flagrantly impersonated" Astley's voice on the song and "falsely stated he endorsed them with no request, forewarning, or remorse," which has caused the '80s crooner "immense damage."

Singer Rick Astley performs onstage during "The Mixtape" tour at State Farm Arena on July 07, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. ; Yung Gravy performs onstage during the 2022 MTV VMAs pre-show at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Singer Rick Astley performs onstage during "The Mixtape" tour at State Farm Arena on July 07, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. ; Yung Gravy performs onstage during the 2022 MTV VMAs pre-show at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images; Theo Wargo/Getty Images Rick Astley is suing Yung Gravy over his song 'Betty (Get Money).'

"In an effort to capitalize off of the immense popularity and goodwill of Mr. Astley, Defendants recorded and released the song 'Betty (Get Money)' which interpolates 'Never Gonna Give You Up' and conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley's voice throughout the song," the lawsuit read. "The imitation of Mr. Astley's voice was so successful the public believed it was actually Mr. Astley singing and/or a direct sample (digital lifting of the actual sounds of Mr. Astley's voice from the sound recording) of 'Never Gonna Give You Up.'"

While Gravy and his team were allegedly given clearance to interpolate the music and lyrics of "Never Gonna Give You Up," the lawsuit claims that they were "unable to obtain a license for a sample," meaning they couldn't use Astley's actual voice. Instead, it alleges that Gravy hired Nick "Popnick" Seeley to recreate Astley's "distinctive voice" for "Betty (Get Money)" and, by doing so without his permission, violated Astley's right to publicity.

"A license to use the original underlying musical composition does not authorize the stealing of the artist's voice in the original recording," Astley's lawyers wrote. "So, instead, they resorted to theft of Mr. Astley's voice without a license and without agreement."

Alongside its claims, the filing cited a Billboard interview in which Gravy said that he "basically remade" the '80s hit to use as a sample "because it makes it easier legally." It also references one of Seeley's Instagram videos where he says that he wants the Astley imitation to "sound identical to the original recording."

In addition to the publicity violations, the filing also claims that Gravy broke federal trademark law and created "further consumer confusion" by "fraudulently and publicly" saying that Astley was a fan and supportive of the song. His lawyers added, "These statements were all false."

EW has reached out to reps for Yung Gravy, but did not immediately hear back.

Released in June, "Betty (Get Money)" has become one of Gravy's biggest hits. The song cracked the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has gone on to become a frequently used sound on TikTok. Astley is seeking damages and demands a trial by jury.

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