M.I.A. Sues Kid Cudi for $2.8 Million, Alleging He Dropped Her from Tour to 'Generate Publicity'
M.I.A. Sues Kid Cudi for $2.8 Million, Alleging He Dropped Her from Tour to 'Generate Publicity'
Rachel DeSantisMon, June 1, 2026 at 7:31 PM UTC
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M.I.A. in London in October 2025; Kid Cudi in Los Angeles in March 2025
Credit: Lia Toby/Getty; Kayla Oaddams/WireImage
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M.I.A. is suing Kid Cudi for $2.8 million after being dropped from his Rebel Ragers tour
The lawsuit claims Cudi breached their contract and used her firing to boost ticket sales for the underperforming tour
Cudi said on social media that her stage comments had "upset [his] fanbase"
M.I.A. has filed a $2.8 million lawsuit against Kid Cudi, alleging the rapper breached her contract when he dropped her from his tour for making “offensive” statements on stage.
The “Paper Planes” singer, 50, filed a complaint in Los Angeles court on May 29, claiming that Cudi, 42, “knew her politics” and knew “she would not stay silent on stage” when he booked her as a special guest on his ongoing Rebel Ragers tour.
“Kid Cudi's attempts to silence freedom of artistic expression and speech on his Rebel Ragers tour cannot go unchallenged. Censorship is something M.I.A. has fought against her whole career,” a spokesperson for M.I.A. told PEOPLE in a statement. “Kid Cudi's claimed shock over her comments he now labels as ‘offensive' and his abrupt and unjustified termination of her performance agreement is a desperate attempt to sell tickets for his tour that was drastically underselling. As a result, his false allegations have fueled a misguided, hive-minded pile-on based on a deliberate misrepresentation of her words.”
A spokesperson for Cudi (né Scott Mescudi) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
M.I.A. performing at Coachella in April 2026.
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty
The British M.I.A. was set to join Cudi on 33 tour dates, but was fired after a May 2 concert in Dallas, during which she was booed for ranting about politics and her immigration status on stage.
“I've been canceled for many things. I never thought I'd be canceled for being a Republican voting American. So I've come to meet you all in person. This is the ‘allow me to reintroduce myself' tour,” she said on stage, according to the complaint, which was obtained by PEOPLE. "Alright, I am illegal. Half of my team are not here because they didn't get the visa. I want you to know that.”
In previous concerts on the tour, she had also called for a free Palestine and condemned ICE, though she wrote on X on May 4 that she is unable to vote in the United States.
In a statement shared to his social media on May 4, Cudi said he'd warned M.I.A. and her team ahead of the tour that he “didn't want anything offensive” at his shows, and “was assured things were understood.”
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“After the last couple shows, I've been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants,” he wrote. “This, to me, is very disappointing and I won't have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase. Thank you for understanding.”
Kid Cudi performing at Coachella in April 2024.
Credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty
In the complaint, M.I.A. argues that Cudi's statement is “riddled with falsehoods,” as he allegedly knew about her reputation as a politically vocal artist, and her comments “were consistent with her public persona and prior performances.”
According to the complaint, M.I.A. and her company, Neet Touring, had an agreement with Live Nation that guaranteed $2.8 million for the Rebel Ragers tour.
“The agreement grants [Neet Touring] sole and exclusive creative control over M.I.A.'s performances,” the filing says. “So, Live Nation agreed to pay M.I.A. over $2.8 million regardless of what she said on stage. That was the deal.”
M.I.A. claims in the filing that she has lost merchandise sales, had a $290,000 private party offer withdrawn and is facing death threats for herself and her 17-year-old son Ikhyd.
She is suing for breach of contract and intentional interference with contractual relations, alleging that Cudi knew about the Live Nation agreement and breached it “to generate publicity and ticket sales for the tour.”
The “Pursuit of Happiness” singer is set to continue his tour through the end of June.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
