Rihanna's Fenty brand sued by musician for using song containing Islamic verse

WASHINGTON: Pop icon Rihanna's beauty brand Fenty has been sued by a musician who claimed that she received death threats after the wrong version of her song was played during the Savage X Fenty 2020 fashion show.

The track titled 'Doom' contained a reading of a Muslim text known as a Hadith, and caused an uproar when it was played during the lingerie show in October 2020. Rihanna faced severe backlash for using the song and later apologised for the same, reported TMZ.

The artist, who filed the suit anonymously, claimed that she was bombarded with death threats after the incident.

According to TMZ, the artist, who has filed the suit as Jane Doe to protect her identity, said Rihanna contacted the artist about using the song for the show and was told to use a version of the song that did not include the sample.

The artist claimed that she made it clear to Fenty reps that one version of the song had the religious verses and one did not, and warned them not to use the Islamic proverbs.

However, the show's producers allegedly played the wrong version, as per the legal documents obtained by TMZ.

The artist further that "immediately got threats" on her life "when the fashion show was live-streamed to millions." She stated that she had to go into hiding since the incident and also, has been suffering from depression and anxiety as a result of the death threats.

The artist said that she is now seeking "Rihanna's business arm for more than USD 10 million in damages".

For the unversed, Hadith is a collection of traditions containing sayings of the Prophet Muhammad with accounts of his daily practise (the Sunna).

It establishes the major source of guidance for Muslims apart from the Quran and hence, is considered of utmost importance in their life. In other words, the hadith are reports about what Prophet Muhammad said and did.